Wow!

Please accept my apology for being away from my blog for so long.  There has been a LOT going on here.  We were in California for a week.  I enjoyed a wonderful visit with my sister and her husband, then she took me north to visit our mom.  My husband and daughter (from Portland) met us there.  We had a lovely day with my mom who is in a nursing home.  She's doing much better than the last time I saw her.  They have a new kitten that Mom is in love with...

We headed home, leaving our daughter in Portland.  The whole trip went extremely well until 3 miles from home.  We hit a deer in the middle of the night, no injuries, but totaled the car!  Instead of several nice crafting days, we ran back and forth to the insurance agent and the body shop.  I still don't have a car, but it's getting closer!

 Then, after five days at home, we headed to Glacier Park where our daughter met us.  Our son came with us, so again, lots of family.  We also attended a 40th anniversary for a brother and sister-in-law so there was even more visiting then.  The only problem in that week was that we had hail that broke all 3 vents in our camper!  Not good.  The scenery is always great, however, and the weather cleared up so we had a great time.  This is the four of us in front of Lake McDonald at Apgar Village, one of the most photographed spots.  It makes a great spot for a photo like this. 

Home again.  The faucet in our bathroom fell apart, water everywhere.  I think I'll be glad when July is over.  But that's all fixed now, so I'm thinking that if (as my grandmother said) bad things come in threes, we're already done...  Hope so!  The two of us are heading to the mountains again this weekend, so we'll find out!!!

Back to crafting:  I just bought the Designer Edition of Silhouette Studio while it was 50% off so I'm playing around with SVGs in it.  Hope to have something to show off soon!  Meanwhile, this is something I made a while ago but haven't posted yet...

The sentiment is from TLC Creations, the gorgeous digi is from Sassy Studios (love all of them!) and the paper is a printable that was a freebie a long time ago.  I added some Stickles and some snowflake buttons (with the stuff on the back clipped off).  I'm working on more Christmas cards.  Hate to start already, but school starts here on August 20 (ick... way, way too early and hot), so I think I had better get moving.

Oh, one more thing!  I see that I have passed 150 followers!  I cannot imagine how that has happened, but I have to say that knowing that you are reading and looking makes this much, much more fun.  Thank you so much!  I'll be having a celebration after I get home again from this camping trip.  Meanwhile, hope you are getting some good crafting time in and still finding time to enjoy the sunny weather.  Remember that winter won't be far behind.  (I realize that is good news for all of you living in our drought-stricken areas.)

Happy summer!
SiskiyouSue

California, Here I Come!

Well, I'm off to visit my sister and mother for a few days, leaving in an hour and a half.    Can't believe how much I have left to do, but of course, my crafting is a priority, and I want to post my latest project.  Hate to have anyone think I haven't been doing anything!  Oh, after I return, I have just enough time to do laundry and pack the camper because we're heading to Glacier National Park to meet our daughter.  We'll enjoy seeing other family also as my husband's brother and his wife are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary while we are there.  The kids are throwing a party.  Lucky for us!

I've been making popsicles!  Just like everyone else, but mine are way lower in calories...

 I used my Silhouette SD and the Pretty Pops cutting files from Lettering Delights.  Aren't they cute?

 Just had to include a close up of the ladybug.  Don't have any idea what she's doing on my popsicle, but she is cute!

 I love Stickles (if you've been following me long you know that I'm a Stickles-aholic).  I was hoping that this would give a frosty look?

 One more shot of the two, can't seem to decide which I like the most.  Guess I'll have to make one or two more of the 20 or so in the set.  They are really fun to work with.

Now, unrelated to this.  My blog title has been Lost in Montana and Loving It since I started blogging, so I really had to laugh when I caught an ad on tv the other day for Travel Montana, our official state invitation to the rest of you.  This is their big thing for 2012:

Get Lost exploring in Montana.

 So I'm doing my part, sharing the invitation with all of you.  Really we don't want everyone to stay forever.  Montana has (finally) reached 1,000,000 people, which is plenty, thank you!  But we love to show off.  If you have ever wanted to see our Big Sky (which is really wide and gorgeous) or the wide open spaces or the emptiness of the eastern part of the state or camping in my much-loved Glacier National Park, this would be a great year to visit.  

Have a great day, and I'll be seeing you on YOUR blogs as time permits.  Back in July...

SiskiyouSue 

Sassy Summer

Isn't this a cutie?  She came from CDAC and was drawn by Jen Leeflang of ABC-Art, Bellydancing & Crafting.  She's one of my all-time favorites.  She just seems so summery!!!  The flower paper comes from a DCWV mat stack, Citrus, the rest, including embellishments, are all from my stash.

I've had a lot of comments in the past several weeks.  Thanks to all of you!  It is lots of fun to share with others who make cards and I appreciate each of you.  I see that  somehow I have acquired 150 followers.  I will have to come up with some blog candy, but it will probably in July since I will be out of town for about 2 weeks.  Time to visit my sister, hurray!

I'm entering it in these challenges:
Always Crafting
Make It Monday

Thanks for visiting me, hope you enjoyed my card.
SiskiyouSue

Vacation at Sea

Not my kind of vacation, yet, anyway, but this crab from Bugaboo certainly seems happy!  The designer paper is from TLC and the subway art from SimpleCrafter.  All digital except for the ribbon.  This was another fun card.  I really love the blue and orange together!

I'm entering this card in the challenges listed below.

Thanks for visiting me.
SiskiyouSue

Challenges:
 Digital Tuesday
SkippingStonesDesign
PaperPretties
JustKeepOnCreating
InkyImpressions
DivasByDesign
C.R.A.F.T Challenge

Fun in the Sun

Here's my first card for CAC Progressive Challenge #18, using Pool Time from Sweet Stamping Treats.  I thought it was perfect for this time of year and had LOTS of fun playing with it.  It was colored with Sharpie Ultra Fine pens and Prismacolor pencils (skin).  The background was first chalked in blue, green and yellow, then spritzed with Smooch in Silver and Blue to give the effect of water droplets in the air.  The title and sun were cut on my Silhouette.  The title was on white paper (left from practicing for a class) so I colored it with one of the 3 Copics I own.  They're great for this.  The ribbon and sparkly flip flops were in a big package of such things I received at Christmas, probably all from the dollar store.  Oh, and I did emboss the background with a Cuttlebug folder, Bubbles.  When I said I had fun playing with this card, I really did mean it!

Thanks for looking!
SiskiyouSue

Fussy Cutting

Hi, again.  I just couldn't help it.  As soon as I say the fussy cutting challenge at 365 Cards Day 89 I knew I had to make this card.  I actually had already purchased the peacock paper (Recollections from Michaels) and colored the digi (I don't know where I got it because I've lost the file!), but hadn't decided what to do with them.  I really like the way this came together.  Hope you will also.

And one more picture, the great surprise I found when I watered my house plants the other day.  I haven't had a bloom like this in years!

Just beautiful!

Thanks for looking,
SiskiyouSue

Graduation Already!

I can't believe how fast time is passing.  Our seniors will graduate Saturday (right, day after tomorrow).  I've finally finished my congratulations cards, so here are s few that I am pretty happy with.  This first card is unusual, I know,  but it is intended for my very special student.  I've spent 6 years as her Special Ed. teacher, and one thing I know for sure is that monkeys are her favorite animal!

 Monkey from Cricut Create a Critter, paper from K&Company.

 Font and shapes from Silhouette, designer paper from K&Company, I'm sorry that I don't remember where the brads came from.  The idea came from a blogpost on smallbitsofpaper.  This has been entered in the graduation challenge at creativecutterroom.

Wonderful image from Bugaboo, digital paper and sentiment from a kit called ConGRADulations, and red designer paper from K&Company.

All in all I will make 15 cards.  I have worked with quite a few of the students in this graduating class so it is going to be a little odd to have them gone.  The rest of us still have five days of school after the graduates finish.  The kids are pretty antsy, hope we all survive...  Lots of tests left!

Thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment.  I love reading your comments.

SiskiyouSue

Clean, almost simple

I've been out of town again, another Special Ed. conference, this one in Billings, MT.  The conference was good, the food was great, the best part was spending time with family again.  My husband and his siblings (9 of them) are wonderful about spending time again, and we've become very good friends as well as family.  Doesn't that make us some of the luckiest people?  The real highlight of the conference for me, however, was the presentation of a "Yes I Can!" award to one of my students who is about to graduate.  This award is given to students who have accomplished many things in spite of having disabilities.  It was very exciting to watch her accept the award as a young woman ready to go out into the world. 

As much fun as it was, I'm hopeful that I can stay home from now until the end of school, which is May 25.  That would really be nice.  I've started my graduation cards, but am way behind on my cards for the CDAC challenge.  Here is my first card (I hate to admit that), for the challenge which ends tomorrow.  I have another started and would have finished it tonight except for more family dropping in on us.  No complaint, but there are only so many hours in the day.

This gorgeous image is from Wax Fruit Company and is printed on a digital paper background called Whisper.  The brown/gold mat is from a DCWV mat stack called "Once Upon a Time," which I've had for a long time.  I've been hoarding the paper - I love the touches of glitter on every page.  I started out to color the flower with my colored pencils, and probably will do so still, but the idea of letting the lines tell the story just took over.  The flower is so lovely that it really doesn't need anything else.  This card was a congratulations for the daughter of a friend who, after 9 years, just graduated from medical school.  How exciting for our small town to celebrate such a wonderful occasion. 

Hope to be back tomorrow with my next project.  And hope you are all enjoying lovely spring weather.

SiskiyouSue

Butterflies - Zzzz

Okay, I had to make one more Z card.  This is obviously a fold that I love.  I also love these butterfly stickers from Jolee.  They're so pretty.

The flower is from Prima, the flourish is by Recollections.
Here's one more shot so you can see the beautiful paper:

 

Its another Monday morning at school, with only five more after today (I only count the mornings that I have to get up, and since I'm already out of bed, this one doesn't count already...  gets the time over faster, lol.)  Our seniors graduate on May 19 and the rest are finished on May 25, so we're down to the wire.  This is the most difficult part of the year because most of my students are either chomping at the bit to get going, or suffering major "senioritis," since they have suddenly realized that the world as they know it isn't going to exist after graduation.  Often they get so far off that after four years of hard work they put their graduation in jeopardy for the last quarter.  I do a lot of pushing, prompting and reassuring that the world will be different but still okay and that they will survive it all.  It's always interesting.

Have a good day.  If you're living in the East where there is a big storm, hope you aren't hit too badly and aren't without power for long.  If you're in the West where the hot sun is shining (it was 78 here yesterday), please remember your sunscreen before you go out!

SiskiyouSue

Challenges I've entered this card into:
Card Caravan Challenge 17 - Spring
That Craft Place Challenge 9 - anything but a square or rectangle
Stampin' Sisters 136 - Pastels
Pile It On 17 - Sparkle and Shine
Come and Get It - Z Fold (the reason for this card!)
Make It Monday 86

Windy Friday

Hello again!  The wind is howling like crazy outside, sounds like we could be working into another spring storm, but we haven't heard that something bad is coming.  In fact, the weatherperson is predicting "nice weather" on Sunday and 80 degrees on Monday.  For northern Montana in April that's amazing.  I certainly hope the report is right this time! I'd like to finish cleaning out my flower beds.  For those of you who have yards full of iris and other beautiful things, my iris are about 2 inches tall right now.  They won't bloom for another month!

This has been a messy week here.  The inside walls are all down in my living room and there is dust knee deep (well, almost) everywhere.  I think I'll do what I can tomorrow then retreat to my craft room.  So glad it's upstairs away from all of this.  I can't wait for it to be done.  Unfortunately my husband and I will be away for several days next week (I'll attend a special education conference in Billings) so we won't make much progress for a while.

Card-making saves my sanity so I've been doing a lot of it lately.  Here is one of my latest.

  I've been playing around with digital backgrounds again and this is one layer with only the flower (from A Day for Daisies) and the ribbon on top of it.  The butterfly is part of the background, so except for the ribbon there are no embellishments.  I really like how it turned out, and it was perfect to send through the mail.    The background papers are from  the Friends Fur-Ever set at Lettering Delights.  I love the color combination in the main section.  You could put so many things with it

Have a great weekend!

SiskiyouSue

Challenges I'm entering:
Crafty Ribbons Challenge
 Craft Us Crazy
Prairie Fairy Fridays
 Clearly i stamp
 Crafts for Eternity

Z-Fold #2

Here is my second Z-Fold card.  I love the glitz, which is hard to see in the picture.  The brown paisley paper is kraft embossed with gold and very, very beautiful.  Wish I had bought more than one piece...  It'll be a while before I can get back to town, but if they still have it at Joann's I'll be stocking up next time.  I've left this card blank inside so that it can be used for whatever comes along later on, birthday, anniversary, etc.

I just realized that the row of pearls on the left almost looks like spiral binding in the picture.  Too funny!

Thanks for looking tonight.  Hope you've had a great day!

SiskiyouSue

Z Folds

I've had so much fun today, making some Z-fold cards.  I think that these and the Gate-Folds are my favorites, so many interesting areas to decorate.  This is my Mother's Day card.  Yes, I'm early.  Can't help it.  I start planning and then I just have to get it done!  I'm a little bit obsessive that way.  Anyway, I think my mom will like it, that's what counts (or is it the fun I have in creating it?), lol.

The colors on my card are dark and light purple and orchid, all Core'dinations Gemstone.  Love that cardstock!  Over those is a wonderful white on white with touches of silver from Joann's Fabrics and Crafts.  The stickers are Jolee's which are always fun to use, and the flourish and double row of pearls on the orchid cardstock are Recollections.

Thanks for visiting me!  And have fun with your creations...  It's good for your soul!

SiskiyouSue

It's all about the Bears!

This card was really fun to work on.  The entire background, the ribbon, and the image (Bugaboo's Cloud Bear) were all layered digitally.  After printing them, I colored the bear and added the dots and flower.  It was made for a belated birthday, but it would have made a great baby card, don't you think?

The pink flower is felt and came from Creative Memories.  Wish I had more, it's really nice.

We have begun renovation of our living room.  The walls are almost 60 years old, and back in the 70's were covered with wood paneling.  The paneling was glued on, so in order to remove it, we have to remove the wallboard under it also.  This is what we found on the first wall, which is where my father-in-law added the living room on to the house, the original 80 or 90 year old wood siding.  Kind of interesting.  Can't wait to get it finished and see how good it looks.  After this it will be a BIG improvement!

Happy Spring!  We're on the last day of our Easter Break, and tomorrow is the first day of the countdown to the last day of school.  Hope my seniors can hang in there!  Oh, good news.  I just got word today that one of my seniors will receive the YES, I CAN! award at the state Council for Exceptional Children conference in Billings in 3 weeks.  I am so excited for her.  What a great ending to her high school career!

Have a nice week!
SiskiyouSue

Challenges I am entering this card into:
CDAC Progressive Challenge #15
Digital Tuesday Challenge
Sassy Cheryl's Challenge
Incy Wincy Designs
Make It Monday 

Easter/Spring

Hello.  It has been gorgeous here for two days, in Great Falls yesterday it got up to about 70! That's amazing for the last day in March.  It is windy again today, and probably 20 degrees cooler, but that is still above our normal.  Wow!  I can even see green in our lawn, though there are no signs of green in my flower beds yet.  I'm really jealous of those of you who have blooming things.

Anyway, here is my Easter and Spring entry.  The digi stamp is the creation of Shelly's Images, a gift for those participating in CDACPC freebie challenge.  I had a good time with it, but didn't have enough time to do what I had hoped.  Still, I'm pretty satisfied with it.  The paper is from a DCWV Premium Stack, called The Green Stack.  I really like this paper.  The sentiment is my own, and the eggs are puffy stickers.  Hope you like it. 

I am entering this card in the following challenges: 
CDA Progressive Freebie Challenges
That Craft Place Challenge
Paper Sundaes
Creative Inspirations
Come and Get It
Addicted to Stamps Challenge

Thanks for looking!  Happy Easter and Happy Spring!
SiskiyouSue

Hello again from sunny (NOT) Montana.  We have about half an inch of snow on the ground again, another spring storm.  Our senior class planned to take their senior trip (in my day called a "sneak day") last Thursday.  They headed north into Canada to spend the day at the mall in Edmonton, about an 8 hour trip (each way).  The storm was so bad that they only made it a couple of hours before they had to turn around because of the icy roads.  Talk about a bunch of unhappy kids!  Hope the school board will let them try again.

Meanwhile, I've been having lots of fun making cards.  Here are a few...

The first card, colored with pencils, is made with the ballerinas from A Day For Daisies.  I think I'll use them a lot.  The actual card is made with 2-sided paper and the front is cut in a scallop so that the ballerinas overlap the inside paper.  It has a simple sentiment inside.

The second card, also colored with pencils, is less than the best... I really wish I had made it less square.  There is way too much blank space on the left side.  All in all I'd have to say that I need to try this again, because I am not satisfied with it this way.

This last card is a one layer digital I made for my hubby's birthday.  I arranged 3 digital papers, a digital sentiment (just with it had been a .png, not a .jpeg) and the Bugaboo cowboy the way I wanted them.  After printing, I colored the cowboy with markers, added twine for his lariat and three tiny copper brads.  For his 65th birthday I think it made a good statement!

Hope this finds you enjoying better weather and enjoying life.  Happy SPRING to everyone and thanks for looking.

SiskiyouSue