this little light...pp#27

hey tracey, momma, friends old and new!

today at the paper plunge, we are shining the light...well, not really.  we are featuring projects that use the spotlight technique.  not sure what that is, look here!  there are so many ways to get this fun look...coloring, punch outs with color underneath, or what i did...add a splash of color with a 'tile'.  anyway you choose, this technique makes a clean and simple card pop with color!

i decided to go old school and use the marble technique to spotlight part of this dahlia...

stamp set:  regarding dahlias, gorgeous grunge

paper:  blackberry bliss, very vanilla, black, glossy

ink:  stazon black, blackberry bliss

extras:  alcohol, cotton balls, neutrals candy dots

my inspiration came from one of the very first swaps i made for the very first stampin' up! convention i had ever attended many years ago.  here is that card...

i remember putting this card in a huge collection box, hoping someone would notice me.  well, they did!  a few weeks later, my card was one of the cards featured on the stampin' up! website...and this was before we uploaded our own work!

tonight was fun...

i just spent the evening cooking with carlo, a wonderful event held every month in a local restaurant.  you listen to stories about the food the chefs prepared, drink wine with every course, and enjoy the company of others.  carlo and his sons share their passion for food and wine and truly make you feel like family.  

this evening is one of my favorites for many reasons...spending time with my husband, john, meeting new people, listening to mike play any kind of song on the organ...however, having a standing date with my friend sue is the best part.  she is quite an amazing, beautiful person, both inside and out.  she is so kind, smart, funny and one of the best special education teachers i know.  she is dedicated and passionate in every area of her life.  i know when i'm sitting on the porch with God, sharing a diet pepsi, i will be sure to tell Him..."thank you for lending me sue."

i hope you have a good friend...they are truly priceless.

thank you for stopping by-

i appreciate you.

until next time-

peace be with you

metal on mine...pp #26

hi tracey, momma, friends old and new!

today's paper plunge challenge  is all about adding a metal embellishment to your card.  i chose to add metal brads to complete the porthole look.  i've used this theme/stamp set before, but i just had to reinvent the card because...well, i just love this look!

stamps:  by the tide

paper:  marina mist, chocolate chip, adventure bound, bermuda bay, very vanilla

ink:  crumbcake, cajun craze, basic gray, marina mist bermuda bay

extras:  top note bigz, deco labels and circles thinlits, mini brads, rhinestone, dazzling diamonds, sponges, mister

the difference between this card and my previous fish...i tried the 'joy' fold.  i'm unsure as to who joy is or why this fancy fold is referred to as such, but it's fun!  you'll find a wonderful tutorial by beate johns here. it's just something different! 

notice the way it opens?  pretty cool, huh?

speaking of joy...

i always try to do things, everyday, for the people i love, with love.  that way of thinking truly turns the mundane into something worth doing...especially when you don't feel like it.  tonight was one of those nights i didn't live by my own rules.  i let my tired take control of my feelings, words and i suppose actions and it didn't feel good.

i once read that you should be a person that children and animals run to...they are the best judges of character.  they prefer joyful people...not cranky or mean people.  just something i need to remind myself of once in awhile! 

in the meantime, consider mother teresa's words... "spread love everywhere you go.  let no one ever come to you without leaving happier."  

thank you for stopping by-

i appreciate you

until next time-

peace be with you

leslie

stars and stripes...fms #175

hey tracey, momma, friends old and new!

today i decided to create a manly card...do men like glitter?  hmmmm...

anyhoo.  my inspiration came from a sketch by freshly made sketches.  this 175th sketch has limitless possibilities...i know i will return to it often!  here it is...

and here is what i made...

i love the glittery paper and the way you can make a star 'pop' off the paper.

stamp set:  guy greetings, gorgeous grunge

ink:  black tuxedo momento

paper:  black, very vanilla, typeset dsp, gold glitter

extras:  distress tool, sponge, star thinlits, small star punch

i didn't get to put a post up on the paper plunge due to the fact my brayer is messed up!  how in the world did glue get on there...and then of course when i went to scrape it off-GAH!  i'll be back next week to join that very talented group of ladies.  check us out on friday mornings...and won't you consider playing with us?  you inspire us to continue to create each week!

in honor of dr. seuss's birthday, i thought it is only fitting to quote him today.  these words are from the man himself, about himself, not those from one of his books.  "whenever things go sour in a job i'm doing, i always tell myself, 'you can do better than this'." 

pretty awesome words to consider.

thank you for stopping by-

i appreciate you.

until next time-

peace be with you.

leslie

she scores!...the paper plunge#21

hi tracey, momma, friends old and new!

this week at the paper plunge, we are challenging ANYONE to come play with us and SCORE!  i forgot what a couple of simply scored lines could do for a card.  why don't i use this technique more?!  head on over to the plunge to see what our talented design team created...in the meantime, here is mine...

very clean and simple for me, but i like it!

stamp sets:  petal potpourri, flower patch

paper:  very vanilla, mossy meadow, hello honey

ink:  blackberry bliss

extras:  simply scored scoring tool, flower medallion punch, bird builder punch, rhinestones

today is my friend Amy's birthday.  she didn't get this particular card, but i did make another cute gift card holder and card.  as i wrote the obligatory nice note with kind words, it dawned on me how much she means to me...and i really hope i conveyed that in her card because i really meant every word.  i spend a lot of time with amy each day...she's my work-wife.  we co-teach together, we complete each other's sentences, we have our 'jobs' to do, we know what each other is thinking when one of our students says something funny, we tell each other things that we promise we will take to our graves...but truly, most importantly, we make each other laugh. real belly laughs.  wet your pants a little laugh.  laugh till you cry laughs.  sometimes i think i have a six pack laugh.

in the end, what matters?  to feel loved and to laugh.  thanks for that, amy!

life is better when you're laughing...

thank you for stopping by-

i appreciate you.

until next time-

peace be with you

embossing...thepaperplunge#20

hi tracey, momma, friends old and new!

today at the paper plunge we are heating things up with embossing as our theme!  i decided to dry emboss and heat emboss my card...here is what i did:

the background may look familiar because i have used it before.  this time, however, i added some copper metallic ink and heat embossed the whole thing...giving it a cool, shiny look.

stamps:  pursuit of happiness

ink:  memento black, pool party, baked brown sugar, encore metallic copper

paper:  baked brown sugar, very vanilla, black, pool party

extra:  flower frenzy bigz die, clear embossing powder, beautiful baroque ef, antique brads, sponges

last night was girls night out.  we went to see the i'm-sure-will-be-blockbuster movie that woman around the globe will venture out to see...and was not disappointed!  i think i felt that way because even if the movie was a total dud, i was with some wonderful woman who make me laugh, will let me cry, who i can pour my heart out to...who i can truly be myself around.  my workplace, my everyday happenings, my life would not be the same if it weren't for these girlies.  i just know we will be laughing till we pee our pants for a very long time...and for that i am truly, i mean TRULY grateful.  

everyone should have a friends like that.

i've spent half my morning looking for a beautiful quote on friendship.  i spent the other half looking for a funny quote on friendship.  but i think frankenstein said it best... "friend.  good".

thank you for stopping by-

i appreciate you.

until next time-

peace be with you

leslie

ps...here is another card i made...CASEd from darleenstamps.  pretty, right?

blended bloom-mojo monday #383

hi tracey, momma, friends old and new!

i was making cards for a lovely lady named bev, when i came across the mojo monday sketch challenge and decided to give it a go.  here is the sketch...

this is what i created...

stampsets:  blended bloom, butterfly basics, flowering flourishes

cardstock:  black, whisper, white stacked with love dap

ink:  momento black

extras:  cherry cobbler blendabilities, daffodil delight blendabilities, rhinestones 

my daughter, sarah and i, love the quote: "bloom where you are planted".  that seems to fit right here!

thank you for stopping by-

i appreciate you

until next time-

peace be with you

love-the paper plunge #19

hi tracey, momma, friends old and new!

this week at the paper plunge, love is in the air!  valentine's day is right around the corner, but more importantly, so is my 7th wedding anniversary!

here is what i came up with...

stamp sets:  everything eleanor, hello life, retired french script

card stock:  cherry cobbler, baked brown sugar, very vanilla

ink:  baked brown sugar, chocolate chip, versa mark

extras:  beautiful baroque ef, cherry cobbler seam binding ribbon, doily, antique brads, mini heart punch, tag punch, clear embossing powder, sponges

i hope you consider entering one of your own creations at the paper plunge.  we are a relatively new challenge site and would love for you to join us.  in the meantime, stop on by and check out the talent!

i decided to also enter this card into the retro sketch challenge #151.  this great sketch created by erin was fun to use!

i love love.  i love romance.  i love what my husband john has brought to my life.  i love how he looks at me when i dry my hair.  i love that he leaves me random voicemails on ordinary days to tell me how much he appreciates all i do.  i love that he really makes me feel beautiful, inside and out.  i am truly blessed.

emerson wrote, "wherever you go, whatever you do, be in love!"

and...do things with great love!

thank you for stopping by-i appreciate you.

until next time,

peace be with you