Country Roads Stamping

A little bit of waffle paper

Last week I received a package of our white waffle paper from my upline, Jan as an "oops" gift.  We have the opportunity to earn Oops gifts when we reach certain level in sales or recruit or try something new for our business.  She draws names from the submissions and someone wins.  So I had this nice new package of waffle paper and didn't know exactly what to do - although I had seen something the day before and thought it would be a good place to start - I'll show you that tomorrow - Here's todays and remember I did warn you yesterday that these are definitely not my normal type of card.

Oh my, where to start?  First off the doily die - I must be honest and tell you it is tricky - but it can look nice. - It just takes time.  Ofcourse I did all that work and covered most of it up.  The hat pin and the trinket are something I rarely use.  Then the waffle paper - simply wadded up and tied in the middle to back the flower, which I made from the Triple layer doily punch.  The designer paper is Attic boutique, something else I would rarely use.  Then spritzed the whole card with Log Cabin smooch - had to use something that was familiar to me!  Here's a close up of the flower:

So there's the first step wayyyyy outside the box for me - tomorrow's will be pretty far too! See you then!  Thanks for stopping by. 

A small disclaimer

I have to warn all of my regular bloggers that for the next several days - these cards are going to look as if someone else has stepped into my body - I'm not sure what is up with the cards I'm making right now - but I seem to be going a little toooooo blingy and lacy and such.  I must have made some change in my diet!  I'd better get back to whatever it was that I normally eat because the next several cards are definitely going to be unusual for myself.

Today's is still "normal"  I used the free note cards with a $50 purchase and 'gussied" them up a bit using Twitterpated designer paper (say that several times quickly) and the Mixed bunch stamp set and matching punch, which I love love love - have many samples but can't just share them yet as they will be for hostess group and stamp camp the month of March.

The flowers are stamped in craft white onto marina mist cardstock and then embossed.  I love adding to these cards - think I'm going to have to get another pack of these because I've used one completely up. 

Here's another little surprise - look what I saw in the yard over the week-end:

Just in case you don't know your birds - it is a robin and don't get tooooo excited - this is just a winter robin who made her/his way out of the deeper woods and came out to see what she/he could find near the feeder.  However, we did hear the bluebirds and the Carolina wren has been checking out the box on the back porch and the crocus are in bloom and we even saw daffodils in bloom in Northview - so hang in there - Spring is coming.  We've made it through the worse for now.  Here's hoping you spot something to remind you that spring is on the way. Have a great day.

Happy Monday!

Welcome back to another crazy week!  SAle a bration is in full swing and life just can't get much crazier.  This past week-end was quite quite busy and the next few weeks will be the same.  On Saturday with Steve, Jackie guessed the compost tea - which is exactly what it says - compost - all of our kitchen compost - obviously there are a lot of tea bags in there because we all know who the heavy tea drinker here is - trying to do at least one cup of green tea a day (bleck) if anyone has a tip to make that stuff taste good - please let me know.  right now I'm brewing one green tea bag with a regular tea bag.  It helps but I can still taste that awful green tea.  Anyway, Steve is taking all our kitchen compost, adding water, as needed, straining, it and then watering the seedlings with that 'tea"  Can't wait to see what he comes up with next around here. 

Today's card - my mom's birthday card.  Dad came over here to make a card for her so in reality, I come up with two cards for her on her birthday.  I used the apothecary art  stamp set and label framelits for her card.

The image was stamped and embossed in black, then I watercolored the flowers, using poppy parade - I will miss this color soooooo much as I love this red.  Then I used the attic boutique designer paper as the background - cut the edge with one of the edgelits and then added a hat pin and lace and ribbon and oh yes, some pearls.  A side glance:

Well, that's a good start for the week - hope all the equipment here stays working this week! and also that we have good weather - amazingly, we never lost power this past week-end.  Lots of others did, but not us for a change.  Unfortunately, this weather has not been the greatest for our maple sap endeavor.  It will not be a very good year for us with that unless something amazing happens in the next week.  Oh well - it is what it is - can't control the weather.  Have a great day today. 

Saturday with Steve

Well, just go figure - two days without internet service - however it is restored in time for a Saturday with Steve!!  This week was no problem - husband has been hard at work planning his garden and even starting his seeds.  Here are his precious little plants in the basement with a light on them and these little buggers are really growing:

These little seedlings were planted on the 10th of February so they are doing well - you can see that he has found a good use for our old pool liner!  Nothing goes to waste much around here.  These are broccoli and two different kinds of cabbage.  Now he has something that I thought was rather unusual going on with these little seedlings - the obvious is that he has them under light for 16 hours a day - however, here is the other thing he has going for these plants:

Oh I know - you have no clue what this is - I didn't either - his room is on the other side of the basement from my stamp room and I could hear this little motor running, so I opened the door and walked over into his section and walked towards the plants - as I walked by this contraption, I felt a "breeze".  Yes, this is designed to blow air across the seedlings.  Air circulation across these young seedlings helps prevent "damping off". I hear you, what in the world is "damping off"?Well, that means fungi develop on the young seedlings and they collapse near the soil - in other words - they Die! So this little breeze helps to strengthen them and makes them strong!  Who knew? (I sure didn't, no wonder so many of our seedlings don't make it!)

Now, here's the best one for the day - another question.  Do you have any guesses on what in the world this is?

Yummy, hmmm?  Well, this isn't soap, fondant, honey, maple syrup - nope - none of that, but do you have any guess what it is and what it is used for?  It is useful - and don't get really gross on me with those guesses!!!

Here's another look.

Now if someone actually guesses what this is, I'll bundle up some handmade cards and send them to you!  Can't wait to see what you come up with on this.! That's all for today's Saturday with Steve.  It's nice to be back online again!!!  Have a great week-end. 

Everything is Okay!

Thanks for the calls and emails - everything is fine here - just no internet service for 2 days - I hope to be able to get a Saturday with Steve posted tomorrow - but we have some nasty weather coming in - IF the weather holds I'll get a post later this evening if not - you can figure the weather knocked out the internet service - such is life in Rural West Virginia!!!!

Easy as . . . Cake!

Last Night I had a stamp camp at Miss Marian's.  We always have such a great time and she made us a real treat last night to enjoy - coconut cream cake - oh my my - it was delicious

I love coconut and this was extremely good - she was trying it out on us as guinea pigs for her business - we were delighted to be of help! So along the same thought line of cakes - decided to make a quick cake card today using the free note cards from the sale a bration mini and adding some of our sweet shop stickers - card took less than 2 minutes to put together and love the fun look of it

So then I had to try one more in the red

Here's what the stickers look like and they are the easiest things in the world to use on cards and since these note cards were free - win win!!!

There are four sheets of these (2 different designs).  Be sure there will be more of these - can't wait to experiment some more with these.  Great fun - have a great day!

Sweets for the Sweet

I saw this card in one of the latest papercrafting magazines and figured I could easily duplicate something like it for a card - easy to do.

Simply punch 3/4" circles and place them overlapping in a circle,  I used three Dimensionals to give it a little lift.  Then a sucker stick with a ribbon and it's done!  Added the striped folder for the background. Off and running today- classes and camps double duty today!  Have a great one!

Monday and an answer

Well, first thing - thanks for all the guesses at the white blob that Steve was cutting on Saturday - and as you may have seen - it was in fact, fondant, - yes the kind of fondant used in bakeries.  This is an easy way for bees to eat at a low season for flowering plants.  We've usually used sugar water, but that is not as good for bees to use - many go a little crazy and end up drowning.  Using fondant in hives is safer for the bees and here's a shot of Steve's hive with the fondant there

That ought to provide a great sugar high!! Oh - my hubby also asked why I didn't put HIS picture up from the bee meeting - so must take care of that too - I'll try to locate that and throw that in randomly this week - must keep My SAturday with Steve author happy!

Today's card is one from the class I had last week - By The Book, copying several cards from the Occasions mini - this was my favorite

Then let's finish off the day with a scrapbook page!!  I actually made one for my hostess from Saturday (thanks Lynn!) as I know she enjoys scrapping.  I love using the Mixed Bunch stamp set, with the matching punch to do scrap pages - easily fills a page.

Well, think that is about enough for a Monday.  Crazy start to a week.  Enjoy your day - lots to do here today. 

 

He's feeling the pressure

Well, I said to my sweet husband yesterday - you know - tomorrow is Saturday - what do you have for the blog?  To which he replied - you know I can't have something EVERY Saturday.  Hmmm, I figured one day a week is not much to ask ;)  So I have His submission and Mine today. 

Last week the North Central Beekeepers offered a class for new beginner beekeepers so they could actually learn a lot about beekeeping before they ever purchased bees.  Great idea and each year this class grows in number.  There were about 23 new beekeepers this year that attended and the best thing about this was that there were four boys that were there as part of this new grant project where supplies were purchased with grant money and mentors were assigned (Steve is one of the mentors) to the young men to help them get their bee hives established.  We don't want the art of beekeeping to die - if that dies and beekeeping dies - you may not realize it, but we are all in deep and dire straits.  No bees - no pollination - no pollination - no fruit and vegetables.  Obviously, these little gals are very important.  So here are a few pictures from the class:

These are some of the attendees putting together frames for their hives - yes, they had to do this themselves.  Even in my work, I understand the importance of the Hands On experience and this is important with caring for bees also - if you don't actually do something with your own hands, how will you ever understand?

One of the young men and his dad watching while he puts together his frames - I believe this is one of Steve's boys that he will be working with - I've not gotten all these names straight with the guys they will be working with.

So with all this thought in mind - let me show you one more interesting picture - this is something Steve is working with for his girls.  I'm asking if you know what this is and what he will do with it - and Cathey B - you cannot reply to this!  Well, maybe on Monday morning you can post your reply because I'm doubtful that anyone will actually know what this is:

What a mess!  Have any ideas?  Here's one more picture:

Well, anxious to see if anyone figures this out - if you guess what it is - then tell me what Steve is going to use this for!  That's all for this SAturday - have a great week-end. 

It's Friday - It's Friday!

It's Friday - although with hubby retired - I find it is harder to realize which day is actually Friday anymore!  Today's cards are not what I had planned - I sat in front of the computer for 10 minutes last night waiting on pictures to download - Steve called looking for a funnel in the kitchen, got up to help him while the pictures downloaded, and kicked out the USB cord - so alllllll that time - and no pictures.  So I'll put the card up on Monday and for today I'll share some of the pictures from the card class on Monday night.  A few of the ladies brought some beauties with them:

Oh my, isn't this one incredible?  I love it but it looks like an incredible amount of work - who in the world would be "card worthy" enough to send this to?  Love it though.

and this one - I did try to duplicate the look of the embossing folder with craft black ink but could not get it as dark.  I'll have to experiment with that some more as this look is striking with the contrast.  Then some pictures of the ladies at work - I'll wait again until a little warmer weather to try this again - we still have some work to do to get this room finished but it is starting to "look like a room"

Yes, I know it is crazy - but it was still fun.  We brought out some hot chocolate and then the fun really began because the coyotes picked that night to head right down in the yard behind this building - they were quite loud and carried on for quite awhile.  Gotta love like in the country.  None of these ladies expected a double treat by getting some of the "outdoors" brought in close range!

See you back here tomorrow for another Saturday with Steve - he has a couple of things he is tossing around - don't know what he will end up with.  Have a great week-end.