Southern Breezes

Saturday Night Challenge

The other evening as I was editing the pictures from Lee's retirement luncheon I was trying to think of some unusual way to display a photograph at his upcoming retirement party.  I did not want to put it in a plain old ordinary frame.  I had a few of the pictures printed and lying on the counter when I decided to work on something else.  I was laying out the stuff to do some stamping - a few clear stamps and acrylic blocks.  After everything was gathered, I sat there looking at the acrylic blocks and then at the pictures - suddenly the light bulb went on!!! Why not use an acrylic block???? It can stand on it's own and can be embellished to fit any theme or color scheme - as fancy or as plain as you want it to be!!! WOW!! Did I feel brilliant <lol>

The picture was adhered to the block with transparent glue dots.  Then one of his Achievement Medals was attached with a pop dot so it would lie smoothly on top of the photo. This took practically no time at all and I ended up with, I think, a fairly decent way to display his picture next to his brass eagle, next to his retirement cake at the party.

So how would you frame or display a special picture?? That, ladies, is tonight's challenge!! Let's see how many new and unusual ways this can be accomplished!!

The deadline for tonight's challenge is Wednesday night and the winner will be announced Thursday!! This should be lots of fun cause I know you all are extremely creative! *wink, wink*

Busy, Busy

Things have been super hectic and super busy the past few days so I've not got to do anything crafty.  But be sure to check back Saturday night at 8 p.m. for this week's Scrapbook Cafe Saturday Night Challenge!!

Wednesday & Thursday

Before we get to the winner of last Saturday's Scrapbook Cafe Challenge I'm going to share a little bit about yesterday's awards ceremony at Ft. Monmouth.  The rehearsal  was at 8:45 which meant we had to leave home around 7 a.m - two hours later than Lee normally leaves for work.  So getting to sleep past 4 a.m. was a treat in itself for both of us.

After rehearsal we had some time to pass, so we drove through the base one last time, walked around the PX and stopped for a Coke.  Then it was back to the awards luncheon at 11 o'clock.  The invocation was said, the meal served, then the awards ceremony began.  A number of people were honored for their work in various departments, one of whom was Lee, who received three certificates and a Civilian Achievement medal ( actually three of them).   At the end of the ceremony Lee was again called forward and Commanding General Daniel Via presented him with a brass eagle in recognition for his retirement after 47 years of government service (almost 24 years in the Army, the rest as a civilian employee). The audience gave Lee a standing ovation!! Commanding General Via then made a nice little speech and invited Lee to take the podium to say a few words.  For the first time since I've known Lee, he was actually speechless!! Those of you who know him can understand my surprise at this! <lol>  Everyone knows Lee is NEVER at a loss for words!!  After all the hoopla settled down  General Via then gave him the "Commanding General's Gold Medallion for Excellence".  All in all a very good day for Lee!!

 

  

That's  my guy holding his gold eagle while Commanding General Via and the audience give him a standing ovation!!

One last thing before we move on to the challenge winner - TODAY IS LEE'S LAST DAY AT WORK!!  TOMORROW IS THE FIRST DAY OF HIS RETIREMENT!!  That's a big WhooHoo!

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Now to the Challenge winner!!

We had great entries again this week and some new "players"!! WhooHoo!!!  You can check out all the entries at these blogs...

Dawn and here

Shelia

Marilyn

Jen

Robyn

Shelly

They are all fantastic cards!! This reminds me why I am SO happy not to be one of those who choose a winner <lol>  You can always tell when they have had a tough time deciding - I don't get a decision until late in the morning.  This challenge was especially difficult because all the cards were so great! But I finally received an answer and ..... ta da!!!

The winner is - can you believe this - it's one of those rare 3 way ties!! Marilyn, Jen & Robin!! Congratulations ladies!!!

Thanks to everyone who played along with this challenge! Hope to see you all again this Saturday at 8 p.m. for the next Saturday Night Challenge!! Remember, anyone, anywhere can play! The more you play, the better your chances are of being our next Scrapbook Cafe Guest Designer!

Working and Watercoloring

What a week this has been!! First the announcement about our new shop - One Little Spark -  and all the great emails I have received!! Thanks to everyone who has commented here or emailed with their well wishes and support.  I really do appreciate it! I certainly will do my best to try and make sure the shop lives up to everyone's expectations!

Monday was spent on the phone what seemed like the entire day getting more things squared away - there are so many things I never even thought about that have to be done before we can open! Wow! It makes my head spin.

Tuesday was spent at home stripping the rest of the wallpaper in the guest room and painting that room.  Anyone who saw Heather's crafty spacewill understand why I HAVE to get the guest room clean and well organized before she gets here in October. Getting the guest room organized also means getting my new crafty room organized before then, too.  Can't have her climbing the walls due to my usual "organized mess". <lol> Children!! **wink, wink**

Tomorrow I will be at Ft. Monmouth attending a retirement/awards luncheon for Lee, who will officially be retired Friday!  Anyway, this luncheon means I have to "clean up" pretty good, wear a suit and look fairly respectable <lol>  I do so much better in jeans and sweatshirts, but I don't think that is the dress code for the event!!

With all this going on I've had little time to actually do anything crafty since Saturday. But I decided this evening I needed some "quiet time" to work on something, so I did Heather's Friday spark. 

The spark for this week was to use watercoloring on a card.  I had already watercolored 3 or 4 sheets last week and they needed to be used so I chose the one watercolored with Persimmon and Gold Twinkling H2Os to work with. I didn't really like the page after it had been watercolored, but once the image and sentiment were stamped on I decided I liked it after all.

The foliage trail and the sentiment were stamped with Staz-on black ink. After the image was stamped I went back over it with the Persimmon H2O to highlight some of the flowers and leaves. Using the large square Nestability  I cut a square from black card stock and used the section with the cutout to frame the watercolor sheet underneath.  The little flower at the bottom was covered up so I punched a semi circle with the 1 3/8 inch Stampin Up! circle punch. Now the cute little flower shines through!!!

Supplies include: Staz-on black ink; Twinkling H20 gold and persimmon; Stampin Up! white and black card stock; Strathmore watercolor paper; Inkadinkado Foliage Trail stamp and Stampin Up! Happy Harmony sentiment stamp

Tomorrow night (Wednesday) is the deadline for this week's Scrapbook Cafe Saturday Night Challenge so you still have plenty of time to get your entry in!!  The more you play, the better your chance of being chosen as our next Scrapbook Cafe Guest Designer!

The work begins...

I promised you an anouncement this week and here it is!! I can't keep it a secret any longer!! <lol>

As Lee enters retirement I have decided to enter a new phase in life, too. I have always wanted my very own shop, so I just signed the lease on a small space next door to the Scrapbook Cafe in the Village Shops in Tuckerton!  It's so very exciting and scary at the same time!!  My fingers have been chewed to pieces this past week or so as Lee and I scoured stores for shelves, and cabinets, and made other "business decisions".  All this while Heather and I have poured over catalogs from SO many stamp companies, trying to find the latest and greatest in stamps and stamping supplies that you will not find in the big stores such as AC Moore and Michaels.  And classes!! I am SO excited about the classes that are in the works for the Grand Opening and beyond!! So far I think we've come up with some fantastic choices all the way around! Whoo Hoo!!! 

So here's what's been done so far....

It's only a little sign in the window, but, hey, you gotta start somewhere!!!

Yes, you may recognize the name as being the same as Heather's blog.  I promise you I did NOT steal this name from her - I asked Heather to name the shop and she did.  As a designer for A Muse Art Stamps, she has her finger on the pulse of the stamping industry, so she will have a LOT of input into stamp lines and other products we will carry in the shop!!  And of course there will be a large collection of A Muse stamps and products - especially those  irresistable "twinkles" I love so much!!When I talk about "we" picking out paint colors and stamps, etc. the other part of  that "we" is Heather.  When I talk about "we'" doing the work and painting, and pulling the shop together, the other part of that "we" is Lee!! <LOL>

What else is happening this week besides putting a sign in the window?? Painting!!!!!!!!  After looking at lots of colors, one called "Pleasant Valley" green was chosen.  The first thing I thought of was the song from the 70's group, the Monkees - Pleasant Valley Sunday!! Remember them? "Hey, hey, we're the Monkees!!"  Anyway, if you're in the area Thursday be sure to drop by and say "hi"! Just follow the smell of paint and you'll find the right place. This is what we are starting with...

A far cry from Pleasant Valley green don't you think?? SO much work ahead! **sigh** Notice that big high ceiling?? Guess who is the painter and guess who has a tremendous fear of heights?!?!?! Yeah, it's me in both cases.  Egads! You should see the giant ladder that has to be used to reach the top!!!  I believe it will definitely be Pina Coloda time after that area is painted!! <LOL> That is assuming I don't die from fright if I climb the monster ladder - if I'm even able to get on that thing! We're talking about a person who has to talk herself into making it to the second rung of a regular ladder! My one request is for Lee to put a thick, thick mattress under the ladder "just in case" **wink, wink**

The "official" website for the shop will soon be up and running, but in the meantime you can keep up with our progress and plans right here!! So all you stampers out there start saving your pennies -  "One Little Spark" will be opening mid-October!!

And while we're talking about cards and classes, don't forget the clear card class this coming Sunday, 1 p.m. at the Scrapbook Cafe!   Class fee is $25 and you can register by calling the shop or emailing me.

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There's still plenty of time to get your entry in the Scrapbook Cafe Saturday Night Challenge - Wednesday is the deadline!! Get busy layering those projects!!

Scrapbook Cafe Saturday Night Challenge

This is going to be an easy challenge this week.  We're going to make a card with layering - now how easy is that?? <lol>

I started out to make a traditional card but ended up making this hanging card...

I started with a coaster and then came the layers - (1) the blue paper, (2) the green,  (3) the tree was stamped on the orange paper, then cut out and glued to the card, (4) the fence, (5) the white piece with the sentiment and Kaiser bling flower. Last came the bird rub-on.   Once all these were in place I used the Crop-a-dile to punch holes on each upper corner through which I threaded the green polka dot ribbon and tied off the ends.  Very simple, very quick!!

Now let's see what you ladies can come up.  Traditonal folding card or hanging card  - either is fine as long as it's layered! 

Once your project is complete, link it to the comment section of this blog or send them to me via email. And don't forget, the more you play the better your chances are of being the next Scrapbook Cafe Guest Designer!!

As usual, the deadline for this challenge is Wednesday night with the winner being posted Thursday.

Playing around

After working most of the day trying to get things organized in my crafty space, it was time to play.  A HUGE box of goodies had arrived from Heather onThursday!! Whoo hoo! What fun stuff she sent! Some days I really like what shows up in the mail!! Anyway, among all the goodies was a pack of acetate paper that I couldn't wait to try.  I really like acrylic cards so now I had the opportunity to work with a thinner acetate.

I started with no clear idea in mind, except for a card I had dreamed about making the night before.  No wonder I wake up so tired, I work all night long in my sleep!! <lol> The dreams are so real I sometimes wonder if maybe I actually do get up in the middle of the night and make cards??? spooky!! But apparently not, because there are no new cards lying about when I do get up *sigh*

The "dream card" was a tri-fold card and I did get it made almost exactly like the one I made in my sleep...

I cut the acetate 4 1/2 x 11 inches and then used the Scor-pal to score and fold the acetate in three equal portions. The Inkadinkado cat was stamped on the first section with black Staz-on and two red A Muse twinkles for eyes.

The inside portion has two witches made with the Martha Stewart punch.  On the back side of this section is the yellow moon that has yellow Art Glitter on and around it.

One bat (also a Martha Stewart punch) flies across the moon while two of his playmates are on the third section of the card. Also, on this section is the fence and the pumpkin (yep, MS punches) plus the Inkadinkado sentiment stamped with Staz-on Opaque Cotton White ink. The purple card stock is on the back side of this section.

It was a fun card to play with. One last picture of the card...

 

Supplies include: The Paper Company acetate sheet; Stampin Up eggplant, black and yellow card stock; miscellaneous orange paper; Staz-on black and Opaque white ink; Inkadinkado cat and sentiment stamps; Martha Stewart witch, bat, fence and embossed pumpkin punches; A Muse twinkles.

Don't forget to stop back by Saturday evening at 8 p.m. for this week's Saturday Night Challenge! See you then!!

 

Paris Street Market in Colorado

I didn't have any projects that HAD to be either started or completed today so I decided to just hang out and play with crafty stuff. All in between loads of laundry (ick!!!) and playing with the furry people (fun!)

The project I worked on today was a 6x12 album I had started way back in May while visiting Heather. You would think I would have had it finished by now, but not so. The main reason for choosing this to work on today was the fact that Heather said she wasn't going to show me pics of what she was working on unless I showed her pics of the CO album!!! The nerve of her! <lol>  Soooo, I had to work on the album and then take some pictures of it. 

Here's a peek at what I added to the album today. The pages I'm showing you now are actually in the middle of the album and focuses on a day trip to Littleton, CO for the Paris Street Market.  We had a perfectly gorgeous day to browse through the market.

Cute story behind this red chair - Heather fell in love with it and was extremely pleased with her $5 purchase! When we got back to their house, Dave carried the chair to it's new home in the foyer while Heather and I headed to her craft room.  We knew immediately that the sound of breaking glass was not a good thing! <lol> Dave had accidentally hit one of the antique glass paned doors leading into the living room - uh oh!!! You guessed it, that $5 chair ended up costing a lot more than $5!! But it really looks cute in the foyer!

The picture below, on the right, is a postcard advertising the Paris Market - another picture is adhered to the back of it.

The back of the card is shown below...

As you can tell, there are many more pictures to be added but this should be enough to convince Heather to share pictures of her latest album with me!! Right Heather?????

Saturday Night Challenge Winner

There were some really neat entries in this week's Scrapbook Cafe Saturday Night challenge, which was to make a layout that highlighted your favorite thing about autumn. 

Be sure to check out the layouts at the following blogs...

Corina

Shelly

Shelia

And this week's winner is ... Shelley!  Congratulations!!!

Thanks, ladies for playing along with this week's challenge!!

Be sure to stop by this Saturday night at 8 p.m. for the next Scrapbook Cafe Saturday Night Challenge. Remember, the more you play, the better your chances are of being our next Guest Designer!

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There's been a lot of activity and planning and major nail biting  going on at our house over the past couple of weeks, so watch for a very special announcement next week!! **wink, wink **

 

Clear Acrylic Class Card #4

Here is the fourth and final card of the upcoming Clear Acrylic Card class scheduled for August 31, 1 p.m. at the Scrapbook Cafe. 

If you haven't registered for the class it's time to do so now!! Class fee is $25, which includes the k. The only items you need to bring are adhesive, scissors and a smile!!

This will be a fun class in which you will learn how to create gorgeous acrylic cards by properly layering the "ingredients".

Here's a look at the other cards we will be making in class...

                                                                   

 

 

 These cards will be on display at the Scrapbook Cafe this week until class time on the 31st.

You can register for the Clear Acrylic Card class either by calling the Scrapbook Cafe or emailing me.  Kits will be made available by request for those who are unable to attend the class. 

See you on the 31st!!!

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The deadline for the Saturday Night Challenge is midnight Wednesday so you still have time to get your layout entered!!