On the road again

No card today so if you are here for that you might want to come back in a couple days. However, if you are even remotely interested in my non-crafting adventures you can stick around because this is a TOTAL NON-CRAFTY post.
 

You might recall last week I was taking a hiatus from my blog and that is because hubby and I were 'on tour' with one of our mutual fav bands Dave Matthews. We do have musical interests aside from Dave that don't really cross paths but this is one artist that we both enjoy so we take advantage of it and venture off to cities we might not otherwise visit.

This trip took us to Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and Charlotte NC. Hubby spends a good deal of time working in Houston but this concert was in an area called the Woodlands which is a distance from his office in a beautiful tree lined neighborhood with an outdoor mall...there was even a Tiffany's there which sadly I didn't get to.

 

The first night i met my cousin Vinney, okay, so he is not my cousin but his name is Vinney and we had the best time sitting with him. I will never forget his face and throwing his arms up in the air hugging us when Dave played one of of the crowd favorites. 

While Vinney was younger than us we did meet another couple sitting near us who were more our age and they were from just outside of New Orleans.  He is an engineer by trade but plays drums in a band as a side hobby....obviously Carter is his guy and he never took his binoculars off of him.

 

The next day we head to Dallas for concert #2 and shock of shocks we sat behind the New Orleans couple and ran into cousin Vinney in the crowd.  See, despite what some of my friends might think, we are NOT the only people who 'follow' Dave from concert to concert.

Before heading to concert #3 in Atlanta we spent an extra day in Dallas to take in some sights. First on the list HAD to be the JFK Memorial in the old Texas book depository, the grassy knoll and the spot where JFK was assasinated. Ya, that is hubby standing on the 'x' where Kennedy took the second bullet to the head. I was just over 4yrs old when it happened and although I don't recall the events of the day I do vaguely remember the funeral. The thing that struck me most about the exhibit is how security has changed in the 48 years since his tragic death.

Our second tour of the day was at Cowboy Stadium. Cousin Vinney told me that Dallas was one rich city and if this stadium is any indication of that, he is bang on! This place makes Ford Field in Detroit look like a dump and I thought Ford Field was pretty nice. Of course, that is speaking from someone who does not like football at all...(and even after the tour, I still think that Ford Field is still pretty nice) For any of you Cowboy fans out there you might appreciate this pic of hubby taking the players walk out onto the field. He really liked this pic...must be a guy thing.

Me, I was more smitten with my lace scarf and swarovski studded belt that I purchased at Wild Bill's Western wear

Now we were off to Atlanta. Our flight was delayed due to weather and when we finally got there Hertz rented more cars than they had so another delay. When we finally got to our hotel we were tired and found a pub that we thought we be nice and quiet but it ended up being karaoke night! Free entertainment!

We didn't have much time there but did manage to get to the Georgia Aquarium. The huge aquarium was quite impressive, but overall I think I like the Shedd in Chicago better.

 Finally, I just can't leave without posting a couple of my fav concert pics....see ya in Toronto Dave!

Keep calm, and eat a cupcake

Oh how I love that sentiment that comes with Stamping Bella's Flynn needs a cupcake! I even think I know who might get this card.

I actually coloured her up a couple weeks ago, but didn't overly love the papers I picked out so I set it aside. Then our sketch challenge came along, and I had this piece of green check paper sitting on the table next to Flynn when the stars aligned and everything came together for me! Gotta love those random things that just happen sometimes.

To nobody's surprise, I stamped her on bella's BESTEST paper and coloured her up with the following copic markers:

E000, 00, 21, 11, RV000, 00, 11

R21, 24, 29, 39, YG01, G43, 46

YR30, E50, 51, 31, Y23, 26 (all on the hair)

We've got a colour challenge for next week and I'm pretty sure it WILL be a challenge for many....YELLOW, BLUE and BLACK....hmmmm....can't wait to see what everyone does with this one!

Speaking of next week...this babe will be taking a blogging break for a week....don't miss me too much, okay!

Linda.



Birds on a Wire

A little something different today...very Tim-like, very masculine, very artsy. I started with Stamping Bella's Journal your ART out THINKING BIRDS as my inspiration and stamped them with VersaMark ink onto some heavy weight smooth surface paper

Then using the tip of a small straw that I cut on an angle I picked up some Indian Corn embossing powder and carefully sprinkled just the heads of the birds, then I added detail black to the remainder of the bodies and tapped the paper from underneath to spread out the powder and cover all areas. The remaining powder was discarded onto a scrap piece of paper for later use.

Then I used a VersaMark pen/marker and inked over the birds again and repeated the process, except this time for the heads I used the discarded embossing powder from the first step, then added black detail again. I repeated this process one more time, and where I thought it needed it, I did it again. This is a closeup look. It almost looks enameled with the three layers of embossing powder. You can click on the image for a larger view....but trust me, it is A VERY COOL blend of black, bronze, with specs of white.

Once the embossed images were totally cooled and set, I sponged on distress inks....antique linen, rusty hinge, vintage photo and walnut stain. Using vintage photo I stamped the 'weeds' (a Tim Holtz stamp) in the background because I thought it looked too plain otherwise.

For the background piece I started with a piece of smooth ivory cardstock and again sponged on some antique linen, rusty hinge and vintage photo. Then I ran the piece thru my Vagabond with, yes, a Tim Holtz embossing folder and sponged on some walnut stain onto the raised portions of the result.

Because the embossed background was too wide for my focal image, I cut it and removed about a 1/4" then repieced it. The ribbon hides the seam...pretty brilliant eh! I do have good ideas sometimes!

Well, that is it about it....I mounted it up with a few layers and I think this is a PERFECT masculine card! If you are interested in more of my masculine cards, click on the 'masculine' label below, or the masculine label in my sidebar. I really do try to label my cards into categories, especially when I post Christmas or Masculine cards.

That's it! Pretty simple actually and it almost took me as long to write this post as it did to make the card! But don't tell the 'man' who eventally gets this card, let him think it took you/me HOURS to complete! We girls have to keep our secrets!

Linda.

Happy Mother's Day!

Well all you Mom's out there, what did you do today? Me, I putzed around in my yard, harvested more moss, put together a couple cards, cooked supper (yes, a mom's day never ends!) and tended to a nasty bite on the back of my leg behind my knee. I got bit by something yesterday which I think was a mosquito because it itched (but never hurt), and today it is swelling like crazy and it's hot and seeping at the bite mark. I still am pretty sure it was a mosquito because over the past two/three years I have been getting more and more sensitive to mosquito bites....I have several scars on my legs to prove it!

Nasty bugs aside, I want to show you the card I made for my Mom this year. She is a pie baker extraordinaire and when I saw this Karen Lockhart stamp last year I just knew that I had to make it for her.

I kept everything quite simple with no ribbons or bows, just a bit of glitter and the colour was carefully chosen to match her kitchen in warm gold tones. I even added some hand drawn brick to mimic the outside of their house.  All very personalized and I know she loved it! She even pots geraniums on her deck in the summer. Everything about this image just screams everything wonderful about my Mom.

In other 'family' related things...you remember I mentioned I bought iPhones for the family....well this is the card I got from my boys today....too funny! It made giving them those phones all worth it!

Finally, I may (or maybe not) have mentioned that I have been obsessed with moss lately. Well this is what I have been busy doing for the last three weekends...harvesting and transplanting moss! Taking it from the from the front of the house, which will get a makeover in the next few weeks, and moving it to the side of my house between the bricks in the sidewalk. Moss naturally grows there, however the gaps had gotten so large and the lack of soil between them made it impossible to grow moss. So I scraped out all the large pieces of mulch and stone between the bricks, filled it in with soil and transplanted moss bit by bit from the front of the house to the gaps between the bricks. In a short time, with a bit of water and some cool nights I should have a wonderful moss filled brick sidewalk!

Hoping all you ladies out there had as wonderful a Mother's Day as I did, doing the things that make you feel happy and fulfilled!

Berry Flynn

I know I'm gonna sound like a broken record, but....holy mackerel batman, I'M TIRED! It seems that since I got home from Chicago every night and weekend has been busy with something...and that doesn't even include the things that make me happy like colouring or planting moss between my bricks in the sidewalk to make it look all martha-ish. (ya, even though she is a criminal, I'm a closet Martha Stewart fan....can't help it...the woman has good taste)

The latest glitch in my free time is that I moved my boys off their blackberry plans with Telus and onto a family plan with my carrier, Rogers....not only that....I got iPhones for the entire fam and upgraded mine! How's that for a good mom! That's what I told them...I was a good mom and got everyone (including the hubby) an iPhone for mother's day! I would pretty much say, they owe me BIG! The downside to all of it is that I was the only iPhone savvy user...the kids picked up on it quickly, but hubs needs some tech support. Fortunately he spends a lot of time on my iPad so for may things I can just say...It's JUST like the iPad!!!!!!

In the midst of all this havoc I DID manage to get in some ME time and coloured my little fingers off with a season of Criminal Minds playing in the background. Stamping Bella's Flynn's BERRY happy day is just ONE of the three that got inky.

YES...she was stamped on bella's BESTEST paper and coloured up with copic markers and prismacolor pencils....here are the markers I used:

E000, 00, 21, 11, RV0000, 11
R21, 24, 29, 39, YG01, G43, 46
YR30, E50, 51, 31, Y23, 26 (hair)

Next week our challenge is back to one of our classic timeless sketches donated by fellow babe and sketch princess Ebru. But until then...check in on Emily's blog, to see this week's entries and comment and/or submit a card to Em for a chance at some bella buckaroonies!

Good luck with the sketch and happy stamping!

Dancing Daffodils

Sunday morning coffee, moss, and a card!

Yesterday I was busy trimming up some overgrown holly bushes in prep for some new front yard landscaping then I was moving moss. YES...MOSS! I FREAKING LOVE MOSS and with the mild cool winter I have an abundance of it. so i've been painstakingly moving it from one location to the gaps in my interlocking brick sidewalk at the other side of the house. I have some natural growing moss in those gaps but i want EVERY gap filled. It is crazy sometimes the things I enjoy that occupy my time.

This morning I decided to do another cleanup project, but on my laptop. As I take pics of my cards I move them to a folder. Then as I post them I move them to the 'posted' folder. Then at the beginning of a new year, I archive the posted folder to the prior years posted folder and start again. Yes, I AM a bit organizationally obsessive. If I had more time on my hands I would organize and label every single in my house.

Anyhow...as I was moving some pics to the posted folder one card caught my eye. I made this for Scrapfest but moved it before I posted it and forgot about it. For those of you who didn't see it there, you get to see it now...Stamping Bella's Dancing Daffodils.

I rarely use blue, but when I looked at these they reminded me of bluebells so blue it was. I stamped them on bella's BESTEST paper and used copic marker to match up with a piece of very old Basic Grey. And even though I coloured this up about a month ago, I pulled out my little red moleskin and found I listed the markers I used...so here you go:

B000, 00, 02, 12, 05, 07, YR30, 01
BG72, 75, 78, Y11, G43, 24

Almost done my coffee and it still a little bit too cool outside for me so I'm gonna get some colouring done before I go transplant more moss!

May your Sunday be filled with doing the things that make you happy.

Gotta love Friday!

Especially when it is a BELLARIFIC FRIDAY!

Last weekend was a chic getaway in Chicago...me along with 6 current and former work gals. Those 3 'former' are lucky retirees and the other 4 of us are retiree-wannabe's. Although I'm sure when I am retired I will have to curb my shopping somewhat....3 pairs of shoes, a couple tops, a sweater, a skirt and a new Return to Tiffany bracelet tapped me out. Oh, not to mention some art supply goodies from Blick's.

With all that I was sure to leave money for food and there are certainly no lack of restaurants there. The best time had was at a fondue place..I think we should have skipped the entree and just eaten cheese appetizers and chocolate deserts...MANY a laugh had in there. We also went to the TOP and stayed in a penthouse condo on State and Grand...can you say GORJUS...it was AMAZING...the view at night was beyond breathtaking. Is it even possible to have too much fun?

Now that I'm back I've had a very busy week at home and work and need to get myself back into some type of normal routine. I did manage to get in just a bit of crafty time for this weeks Bellarific Friday.

This is DAHLIA flower head and I coloured it up with my new KOI WATERCOLOR BRUSH markers that I picked up at the Stamping Bella booth at scrapfest. If you are interested in what they are like, they are more like copics than say Tombows in that they are blendable on paper yet they are easier to blend than copics. Will I give up my copics...NEVER! Will I have fun with my new toys...DEFINITELY!

I'd also like to welcome a new Babe to the house, Katarina Menzies. I'm sure you know her because she has been around for a while and it seems I've been stalking her since the day I started stamping. I also LOVE that she dabbles in everything... tombows, reinkers, copics, pencils, you name and she's used it and churns out a MASTERPIECE! I'm soooooo thrilled to be on a team with her.

Next week is EASY PEASY! ....sew it, or faux it....hmmmm....since I usually sew, I just may try to faux it next week for a real challenge.

see ya soon....I have another image coloured up here and it will make it onto a card very soon!