A little progress...

I have a little progress report on the flower baskets from the Starry Pines Pattern Co.  I've been working on a little here and a little there...and as a result I'm more than 1/2 way completed.  They have been going easy...I'm hoping I'll be done by the end of the month...another 2011 project would be done, done, done!! 

Block 9

Block 6

Block 4

Block 2

Block 3

Soxie says, "look at me"

Some lemonade for you...

Some lemonade for you...I've had the Friendship Jar Stamp Set from PaperTreyInk for several....several months.  However, I will admit like some stamp sets...they don't get used right away!  I promised challenged myself to use this set in the next challenge I participate in.  After getting in from the garden, I was able to take part in the The Paper Players Challenge.  This week was a sketch challenge; I thought it was easy enough...nope, I was wrong.  I was stumped on the top and bottom diagonals in the sketch.  After much hesitation I decided this card was going to work.  Check it out:

How does your garden grow...

How does your garden grow?  My husband's garden is beautiful!  La Nina has been very good to us in the midwest....with the exception of the humid days...and weeks!  Check out his garden; I have one more posting for today...I have green beans to can up!

chili peppers

grapes

eggplant

my hubby

red cabbage

yellow onion

green pepper

banana peppers

roma tomatoes

(some) variety of red tomato

bee on the cat nip

zucchini flower

bee on in the another zucchini flower

summer squash

I wasn't kidding...

I wasn't kidding when I said, "there are about 50-75 blooms out there."  And I think every honey bee in town is visiting the flower patch.  Check out the pictures:

Some time ago, I got a 7 Gypsies Rolodex as a gift from my BFF...the Oregonian peep.


I really want to make an effort to work on the "dex"...I didn't want it to sit there waiting and waiting to be worked on as soooo many of my craft projects do.  The "dex" has been patiently sitting on my craft table...for its' turn to get worked on.  Well, I'm happy to report, the "dex" didn't have to wait any longer than this morning.

oh, see the sparkle

Yep, it's hot...

Yep, it's hot in Minnesota....the land of 10,000 temperatures!  I'm not sure if I'm completely sane to be up in my craft room with a (HOT) light on...I think by the time I finished the card it was a bazillion degrees in the room.  Seriously...am I SANE?


Anyho, I wanted to create a card so I toughed it out...I think (with slightly less brain cells)!?


I participated in the Splitcoaststampers.com Wednesday Sketch Challenge (SC342).  I thought it was a great sketch to utilize my new stamp.  Love, love, love the coke bottle with a flower.  My creative juices were working overtime when I saw it yesterday...so I purchased it...quickly!


Here's what I created:  It's not my best...but it really was a bazillion degrees.

Pretty flowers...

Here's a couple pictures of coneflowers which are growing on the side of the house: these are only a couple of pictures...there are about 50-75 blooms out there...seriously!

Roadshow or bust...

Yesterday, my mom and I went to Antique Roadshow which was taping in Minneapolis...

and I will say that although we didn't have any million dollar items...we sure did have 
F-U-N!! I would have liked to take pictures, however, we weren't allowed once we were in the "arena."  We met the following appraisers:

J. Michael Flanigan (Furniture)

Kathleen Guzman (Collectibles)

John Travolta otherwise known as Scott Tagliapietra (Dolls) and he thought he was a doll, not so much!
Dude, button up your shirt...it isn't cool anymore, really!

From what I hear 35,000 people "applied" for tickets which was picked by lottery...I can't win at bingo, so I was really surprised when I received tickets for the show.  Also, please note...I did see Mark Walberg, but he was across the room...so I didn't get any photo opps!  The taping will be airing in the 16th season...so look for my mom and I!

Thanks mom...I had a blast!!

I've been on a hot streak...

I've been on a hot streak...in creating cards.  My creative juices are flowing...and I haven't created anything for the PaperPlayers in a long time. So I thought I would put something together for their challenge.  For their challenge I needed to use the following colors:

Okay, so I had the colors...now all I needed was to find a sketch, since I'm not the best at pulling a rabbit out of my hat.  I picked something from the Splitcoaststampers.com sketch library; here's what I created:

It's happy hour...

It's happy hour...and I mean Happy Hour embroidery from the iron-on gal herself, Aunt Martha.  There a bunch of different "mixers" which I'm doing for a girlfriend of mine...inside joke!  I know she will love them!

A little Christmas in the month of July...

Yep, a little Christmas in the month of July; I'm hoping to sell Christmas cards this year on my Etsy account.  I have a 4 day break from work this weekend, so I'm planning on retreating to my craft room for a majority of the time off.  Please check back...I'll have some other holiday cards, too.   Who knows, maybe you'll love my cards enough to purchase them?! 


Before I retreat to my craft room, my mom and I are gearing up for the Antique Roadshow taping this weekend; I'm hoping to take a lot of pictures of my mom with host, Mark Walberg!  He's soooo handsome.  I'm really hoping to make a great experience for my mom...she loves the show!  Check back for my Roadshow posting on Sunday!!


However...getting back to my card I've made for the Splitcoaststampers.com Sketch Challenge.  Here it is: