GREEN GRASS!

Wow. There isn't much, but we are seeing a little hint of green in our lawns. Of course, I have to tell you that we have been very lucky here on the Canadian border. About 15 miles south of us it began to snow yesterday. My son who works night shift got home about 8am with at least 2 inches of snow on his car. 90 miles south, Great Falls got about one foot and east of there got TWO FEET. I couldn't believe that we avoided it.

Anyway, I spent a lot of time on this card today. I know, I'm slow. But I wanted to try a couple of challenges (I'm slowly easing into this), and it took a while to figure out how to work with more than one at a time. I'm going to enter it in the Peachy Keen layout challenge, and in Drunken Stampers challenge to use a farm animal. That would have been easy if I hadn't wanted to try the other also. However, you should know that the inside says "Thank EWE" so it really is a farm animal card. Also, this is the first flower I have made. I put it together with a yellow eyelet thinking that it would make a cute center, but I didn't much like it, so I added a button instead. I keep hoping that some of all you crafters will let a little of your design talents rub off on me. I know what I want to do, but I'm never satisfied with the results. Guess I'll just have to keep trying (like I might have quit otherwise... NOT!).

I have to laugh a bit. I looked at the paper with the blue dots and realized that down in the front corner it said "Current" which means that this is part of the stash I found in a box left from the early 90's. When you talk about cleaning up the stuff you aren't using, I'm sure you don't mean putting it in a box and moving it across 3 states then storing it for 10 years! At least, I hope you don't. I'm really enjoying finding things that I hadn't seen for so long, and I hope to never find boxes of "stuff" again.

Hope you all enjoy a wonderful Easter with family and friends. Blessings to each of you!

Easter

Easter is here this weekend, but we still haven't seen any green leaves or grass anywhere. Easter is late this year, so you would think we'd have something out. I talked to a worried farmer this afternoon after school. He says the fields are still too wet to get into. Looks like a really late planting, which means a problem in the Fall if we have an early frost, as we often do. The end of August isn't unheard of, certainly we always have frost by the end of September, even snow sometimes. I'm glad I'm not a farmer!

I made this card from free digis, both the pictures and the sentiment. I really appreciate the generosity of all those wonderful artists. Isn't the bunny cute? I've mailed this card to my daughter who should get it today, I hope. At least if she sees it here first she will know it is coming!

Mother's Day

Well, I still have one more Easter card to show you, but it was just mailed today, so I'll save it for a couple more days before I share it with you. Meanwhile, I have already made my Mother's Day card. It turned out to be really easy after I found the Meow cartridge at Joann's today. I didn't mean to buy anything, but I just had to have it! My mother and all the rest of my family are cat lovers, big time. I think my mom will love this card! I do, even more when they're made of paper. I have one cat, which is enough for all of us.

The background paper I is from a DCWV mat stack, Taj Mahal. The mother cat is from another mat stack called Safari, and the kittens are from a package of American Crafts textured neutral cardstock. I didn't have green jewels like those I used for the mother's eyes, so I ended up using a permanent marker to color some little adhesive silver beads.

I''m really looking forward to making more things from Meow. There are a lot of cute images! I suppose I should finish graduation and wedding cards first. Then the baby album. There isn't enough crafting time in my world. Oh, but I have a 4 day weekend over Easter! Maybe I can make a good dent in that list. I have an idea for a Christmas card that I'd like to try also. I think I could craft all day!

We still haven't seen hide nor hair of Spring yet. I got an e-mail that said we weren't having Spring this year. Sure hope it's a joke...

Have a great day!

Easter Cards.

I saw a layout on a challenge a couple of weeks ago that I wanted to try. Unfortunately I didn't have time for it then, but I decided to try now anyway. It had 3 panels in the background with a focal point on top of them. I like the way the card turned out. The card is very simple but I still like it. The panels are plain cardstock that were run through my crimper. I think I'll try again with some more vibrant colors. I just do not really like these pastels. You've probably noticed that I love bright sunny colors.

Another weather note... It snowed again last night and didn't all melt off. My goodness, I won't complain, because this is just an irritation. And compared to the damage those tornadoes did in the south, well, not even worth noting. I hope we are all keeping those people in our prayers, along with those in Japan. Let us all remember how blessed we are!

Hello, crafty friends! I'm away from home for a few days, just thought I should say thank you to all those who have visited me lately. I am having loads of fun visiting your blogs in return. Isn't this a great way to find new friends and ideas? Hope you are all enjoying it as much as I am, and thanks again to K Andrews for the idea of a Link Up Party.

I am currently in Billings, Montana at a conference on special education and gifted education. This is always an interesting conference, this is the 9th year I have attended. This year many of the workshops deal with Autism because this is such a hot topic in special ed. at the moment. You can never know enough! I am also taking some workshops on using technology since I need to help my high school students learn as many of the new technologies as they may need to find and keep a job. I enjoy this. In fact, I have learned enough from our blogging that I'm thinking about trying a blog when school starts again in August. I think I might convince some students to write comments because they might not realize that they are actually writing. Could be interesting! Now, if I could just convince my coworkers that they need to learn this new stuff. I am appalled at how many of them (in my age group, almost 60, and even younger) think they don't have to learn. What a shame! I wish I could just tell them to quit now... I am a little short on patience, maybe?

I'll be back sometime early next week! Enjoy.

What a surprise! I have received a Versatile Blogger Award from Coley at http://coleyscraftcorner.blogspot.com/. That was so sweet of her. So here goes:

So here are the rules...

1. Thank the person who presented me with this award (This is easy...)

2. Tell 7 things about myself

3. Pass it on to 15 Bloggers



Here goes the 7 things about myself...

1. I'm a California native.
2. I used to (notice the past tense!) climb mountains. I actually did two 50 mile long backpacks with my Dad. I loved it, but I have no desire to do it again!
3. I loved living in Oregon where we could grow things, but I also love living in Montana again (where things do not grow because of saline soil).
4. My favorite type of reading material is fantasy. And I also love science fiction. (I know, my mom always said that was a waste of a good brain!) But doesn't that show a good, lively imagination?
5. I have two children. Don't know whether I'll ever have any grandchildren! The kids are 30 and 32, and no signs of permanent relationships.
6. I love silence. I enjoy sitting in a silent room an hour or so before I go to bed at night.
7. And while I love the prairie, and the wide skies, I could easily live in the mountains instead of out here on the prairie. I love the pines and cedar found on the west side of Glacier National Park. Consider this an invitation to visit! If you haven't already been there, you owe it to yourself.

So, now on to the 15 bloggers. I've met so many crafters through K Andrews Link Up Party. I'll try to limit the list, but if I don't mention you it doesn't mean that I didn't find your blog inspirational. You are all awesome!

1. Nikki

2. Janna

3. Amy

4. Elizabeth

5. Laurie

6. Crafty Jar (Sorry, I couldn't find your name.)

7. Beccy

8. Cori

9. Melissa

10, Corrine

11. Sliekje

12. Lisa

13. Lori

14. Ruthean

15. Jenifer

Those of you who aren't familiar with these sites would find them all quite interesting.

We had sunshine today, but they're saying snow again on the weekend! We'll enjoy what we can, and I hope you are also!

Good morning! I decided to finish this easel card, although it isn't quite right... It sits a little bit slanted. I don't know whether that's because of the way I folded it, pasted it, or cut it! Guess it's the same either way.

I have mentioned before that I have 4 students graduating, so I am making cards for them that are more special than those I would usually give. These kids have been "mine" for 5 years, but I actually first worked with them when they were only in 4th grade. I'm really going to miss them.

The cap was cut from Locker Talk (cartridge) which has a lot of good school related images on it. I think I'll probably use it a lot when I'm scrapping my kids school years. The paper is some of the last from DCWV's Songbird, which I have loved. It is such good quality and so easy to work with. And besides, if you haven't already noticed, I love bright colors!

Time to start some laundry, then head upstairs. I've got lots of card ideas to work on... Hope I finish some. I tend to start several projects and leave them to finish up later! Not always a good idea.

Hope you are enjoying sunshine and flowers. Get outside and smell SPRING for me, please.

I'm glad to see that I got K Andrews post on my blog. It wasn't hard to figure out, after all. I wanted to post one more picture of my easel card. I couldn't get a good picture last night, but in the sun (YES, we did have some today!!!) it came out clear. So here it is, showing the sentiment sticker on the bottom. I love the way it turned out. I think I might want to make another, if I can find these or some similar stickers.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

I don't know how this works, but I'll give it a try.  Hope you'll join us in K Anderews Link Up Hop.

Hello to all my crafty friends and family!  I really do love to color.  I didn't realize that I had missed it, but I'm really having lots of fun in the evenings.  I couldn't resist this cute bunny with the addition of the fence behind him.  Isn't he darling? 

Now, if my sister is reading, I really hope she will stop.  If she continues, she'll just have to forget what she sees, because I really made this card too early.  When I found this great digi I just had to make the card!  This is my first easel card, and I think it turned out quite nicely.  I love the colors that tie together so nicely.

Isn't the paper great with it?  I found mat stacks on sale at Joann's last week and was able to pick up 2 that I loved.  I've been wanting this particular one since I first saw it.  This one is from Once Upon a Time by DCWV.  It's not easy to see in the picture, but the sticker on the bottom of the card says happy birthday.  It and the hat are from a set that my husband gave me for Christmas, from Punch Studio.  They're really nice.  I've been hoarding them...

Well, this looks like it'll be a great weekend.  Friday night and I've already finished two cards!  Can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring!

Spring in Montana isn’t like Spring where you are!

Lots of crafting going on but still no pictures to show.  Saturday should do it, I hope.  I’d like to FINISH something, not just get it half done.  Especially since I am working on Thumper (from Bambi) with my new Cricut Cartridge, Disney Classics.  Lots of layers!  I just love this cartridge, it is chock full of wonderful images from Bambi, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and Pinocchio.  I absolutely love them all!  Can’t wait for summer vacation (school is out on May 27) so I have lots of time for crafting.  Well, I hope so, anyway.  Summers seem to get full of things too fast!

Spring in the north central Plains isn’t like elsewhere in the country.  We have wind, rain, snow, hail, sleet, a little sun, or a lot of sun, and the temperatures can be miserable, either cold or hot or anywhere in between!  However, it is still Spring, not Winter!  For which I am mostly grateful!  I am not a fan of mud.  I got mud on my shoes every day last week just trying to get to school in the morning, and mud on my pants before school was out three times.  I quit looking…  Some things just can’t be changed. 

So, anyway, no green grass yet, no leaves on trees, no daffodils or tulips.  It’s looking like those will be very late this year.  I hope I have iris before July 4th, but I suspect that it could be that late.  My sister from Sacramento e-mailed me a picture of her first iris bloom this year, Stepping Out, one that came from our grandmother.  It is just beautiful, and I hope I’ll have one in my garden, whenever that happens…  Meanwhile, this is the one time of year when I do miss living farther south.  Or west.  When we lived in Oregon we had roses beginning to bud in February, iris in May, and something all year.  I am really jealous of many of you. 

Oh, another sign of Spring!!!  Senior-it is.  I have 4 students who will graduate on May 21.  All of them have become anxious, which is not helping any of us.  One is worried about what he should do after graduation.  Another doesn’t want to move out but knows he has to.  A third had started a new job every afternoon and really, really wants to be able to work all day.  The fourth is planning to attend college about 8 hours away, and the reality of that is beginning to hit home.  I don’t know if I should ask for prayers for them, that they should keep it together until the end, or prayers for me that my patience doesn’t wear out!  But your prayers are always appreciated.

Oh, my!  Just a quick update to the freezer story...  After getting the freezer located and almost everything out of the living room, my husband has decided that he does not like it there...  and it should be moved to the closet where I thought it should have gone in the first place!  Who says men don't have hormone fluctuations!!!  lol

Sunshine today!!!  Hope that means it'll stay for a couple of days.  We would really appreciate it!

Many thanks to LeeLou Blog Layouts for my FREE new design.  It was FREE, did I say that already?  Their generosity is great.

I've had a busy day.  We bought a new freezer which (I think I already said) has been sitting in my kitchen since yesterday afternoon.  It is now in its new home.  Unfortunately, everything that used to be in that space is now in my living room.  Need I say more?  Chaos...

I did manage to get some crafting in, but not quite what I had expected.  Will get a little more time tonight before bed, but it will probably be next weekend before I get more time.  This is report card week!  In addition to the usual report cards, special education also issues progress reports on all goals and objectives for each student.  This is more paperwork, obviously.  The week ends with Parent-Teacher conferences after school on Thursday (4-7) and on Friday morning (8:30-11:30).  I really do enjoy meeting with parents.  I'd much rather talk face to face than to try to put everything into one little grade on the report card!  Anyway, it'll be a busy week.

So here are the projects I'm working on, 2 easel cards, one that I printed out (first time I layered one digi on another) and one I'm coloring.  Oh, there are some things I'm cutting out that I didn't include in this picture.  Anyway, lots of little things for any time I find free.  Hope it works!

Hope you all enjoy the week!  I suspect many of you have spring already, but we're having a snow shower again tonight.  Wonder if it'll be like that last shower that dropped 6 inches!  Oh, woe!!!

Happy Spring!

Hello everyone!  My picture today is not a card, yet, anyway.  I think I might mat it and hang it on my wall for a little while.  I wonder if it means anything to any of you?  My daughter should recognize it...  I used to recite this poem to my kids when they were small.  The poem can be found at www.nonsenselit.org/Lear/ns/pussy.html. 

The Cricut cuts (boat, owl and cat are from Give a Hoot, don't remember what size).  The fish and crab are stickers I've had around for a long time (I tend to hoard these cute things).  The background paper (sky) is from A Winter Combo pack by DCWV and the ocean blue is from the dollar store (love that place).  The boat and ocean were both embossed with a Cuttlebug folder but I cannot remember what it is called.  Sorry!

I'm home alone, crafting!  Sent everyone else to town to pick up the new freezer and have a "wonderful" lunch at the Golden Arches.  I'm really happy to be right here.  Might even have something more to post later, I hope.  Hope you are each enjoying your weekend as much as I am!

I have had a great weekend!  The sun was out part of the time, though it snowed for a while also (a typical day in north central Montana).  My husband was home and we were able to putter around a little.  We ate out with friends on Friday as we often do.  We made a trip out of town for groceries and to pick up a prescription, and went to church.  I had just the right amount of time for crafting.  Life can be very good!

I'm going to enter this card in a challenge at Pause, Dream, Enjoy.  It's fun to see how it looks compared to those others made.

I've been working on a double fold card that will let the inside unfold slowly.  Didn't get a picture of the first one I made so I'll have to make another.  It was pretty cute...  But I'm pleased with this one also.  This is for a friend who celebrates her birthday this week.  The sentiment (a freebie) says "birthdays are good for you, studies show that people who have the most live the longest."  What could be more perfect?

The next card is the same style, but maybe not quite so good.  I can't quite say what else I wish I had done, maybe used a different green for the base card, or maybe I should have embossed it.  I wanted to, but it didn't fit in my Sizzix Texture Botique.  I'll have to come up with some better plan, I guess.  Anyway, this is for my mom, hoping it will help her enjoy Spring! 

I'm off to try to finish at least one more card.  It's part-way done, so maybe I'll make it and can post it tonight.