All About Dad

This week at Sweetsassydiva we are celebrating Dads. I'm very blessed to have such a wonderful man to be the "Dad" of my kids. He is amazing and I literally thank God for him every day. Making cards, layouts, or anything basically with a masculine feel is a challenge for me. It may have something to do with the fact that I have 5 daughters, and 1 poor boy surrounded by us. Pink and flowery just comes more natural. So for this card I started scouring magazines, websites and so on looking for something to scraplift. I mainly lifted the colors more so than anything. I chose blues, and stripes. They seemed "manly" enough ;) I layed everything out with my gypsy and got it all cut at one time. I used the calligraphy collection cartridge for my tags and for the "Happy Father's Day" and I used George and Basic Shapes for the "DAD" I used DCWV neutral stack (gray) for the card base, and the smaller tags (1 1/2 in), Latte stack for the striped frame,and white and black misc. scraps for the larger tag (1 3/4 in) I inked all edges of the base, striped paper and tags in dark blue. I layered my tags and centered the letters on them. I used small brads at the top for some extra color. (I don't have a paper piercing tool so I used my cricut tools...they work great) I used foam dots to raise the tags just a bit for added dimension. Then to finish the card I added my greeting on the inside. and the finished project looks like............. Thanks for stopping by. Make sure that you give all of the "Dad's" in your life a huge hug. They deserve them!

Busy Bee

This week at Sweetsassydiva we were given a wild card week. I chose to do a layout. I really need to work on my scrapbooking and this gives me a reason to do so. My inspiration was my 2 little girls who have been non stop all day everyday since they were born. My busy little bees....

As always I have one idea in mind, and then end up with something completely different. I started with using George and Basic shapes cutting out 3 in octogons. I cut them in a tannish and white cardstock. I really don't like such stark colors so I used my Ranger Ink (antique ivory) and distressed them just a bit.

I then used Create-a-Critter to make the cutest little bumblebees and bee hive. I cut them at 2.5 in.

Again I decided to distress a bit on the beehive.

I cut out the title using Plantin schoolhouse at 1.75 in. Then it was assembly time. I think it took me longer to play with how I wanted it to come together then it did to cut out all of the pieces. The one that stayed the same is the part that says "BEE"

I cut out 4 (4.5x6.5) mats for photographs. Or can be divided for a smaller picture and a journaling box. This will be cute filled with pictures of my busy bees. It was really simple to make and turned out better than my first thoughts. I hope you enjoy.

*recipe*
cardstock...black, white, tan, black, yellow, blues
cricut cartridges....george, create a critter, plantin schoolbook
markers, ink
(a napping baby is good as well)

Feeling Beachy

This week for the Sweetsassydiva design team we were given a sketch to follow for our design. I'm usually not very good following sketches but this one I really liked and had an idea right away....and then it changed.

I chose colors that reminded me of the beach. (I'm homesick for warmth.) I made the base a 4 1/2 x 6 1/4 card out of a light green cardstock. I then cut another rectangle out of "sandy" beige that was 4 1/4 x 6. On top of that I layered a "sky" blue strip. A small yellowish strip, and a green strip that can be my beach towel.

I inked all of the edges in a blue to make them stand out just a bit.

Using the cricut and my gypsy I cut out a scallop cicle at 3 1/4 in (gypsy wanderings) a 3 in circle (also gypsy wanderings) 2 rounded rectangles to form the tag one at 3 in the other at 2 3/4 (from george and basic shapes) a 1 1/2 in flower (paisley) and "leaves" which were paisleys at 1 in (also from paisley)

I inked the edges of the "sun" in orange and the flower in orange as well. I stamped the happy birthday and beach ball on the tag. I colored in the beach ball using le plume markers. I then stamped the umbrellas on the beach towel/ribbon strip and colored them in. I affixed them all into place and added a center self stick dot to the flower...and called it beachy!!

I hope that this finds you with a warm and sunny week ahead.

*recipe*
green, yellows, beige, and blues...misc. cardstock
cricut cartridges: gypsy wanderings, paisely, george and basic shapes
blue ink pad
le plume markers
self stick gem
stamps: beach ball, umbrellas, happy birthday

Kissin' Kate

We have yet another new addition. We have the cutest little girl here now. Kissin' Kate has come to live with us. She is a 2 day old Shetland ewe lamb. Her mama had never had twins and refused to have anything to do with her. I haven't had a bottle fed baby in a few months....my youngest is 16 months already.

Today we get to spend the day making a better home for our little goat. He has been living in what is our normal brooder house, but we have chickens and turkeys coming in this week. So he gets a room of his own...as soon as we can figure out where to put it. He is the sweetest animal. I've been very blessed with the tempermant of the livestock I've acquired the past few months. We get a lot of funny looks walking the goat down the road on a lead rope for him to get his exercise.

We've also had the "neighbors" visiting us more often now. (Neighbors being a mama moose with her baby) They like to come to eat and usually run afterwards. This morning I woke up to them bedded down under the trees in the backyard. The kids went out to tend to the animals and they never budged. I'm wondering if they were waiting to be served as well. Living in the area that I do you never know what is going to be visiting. We have more wildlife visit our farm then we do people.

I can definitely say that living in Alaska is a very different experience. It is one of the most beautiful states I've lived in...if not the most beautiful. The wildlife is everywhere. I love never knowing what you are going to see. I love having my farm in the middle of it. I need to learn more about how to really garden here. If I can master that I would have my complete farm....well maybe not complete, but a lot closer. I still plan on bees, pigs, and possibly a dairy cow. I would love to have a meat cow and a few more goats as well. After this season I only need 2 more ewes to have my complete flock. Oh and my 11 year old has informed us she wants a pony...since the other 2 girls have horses.

It's crazy how time flies and plans change. We had just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. When we were first married I never would have dreamed we would be in Alaska, have 6 children, or have a farm. I'm a very different lady then I was. I hope that I'm a better person than I was then as well. This year has really started on bumpy ground and spring is bringing hope that we haven't had in a while. We have definitely learned to be grateful for all that we have, because things can change so quickly. We were very blessed to have had an aneurysm found before it burst. Having to go through the surgery...not me but hubby....and the recovery has been very difficult. We are definitely thankful for all that we have, always have been, but now more aware.

I've learned that I'm one that tries to run from problems. I try to run from difficult times. I've got the flight instead of fight tendancy. I've been forced to stop and stand ground which has been something very new to me. I have high hopes that there will be great things in our future for sticking it out....and with the blessings that have already started to roll in...I believe it to be so.

This is one season I'm looking forward to....spring is just part of it.

Long Break

It's been a long beginning of the year. Things are finally starting to become normal again....or at least my sense of normal. There has been so much happening.

We've added 3 mini rex rabbits to our farm family...hopefully 2 of them are pregnant. Our doe Bonnie had a litter unexpectedly...I'm hoping that they survive. We are also trying to get our Jersey Wooly bred. Hopefully by May we will be having a lot of baby bunnies around here.

We've also added a baby goat...his name is Casper..the friendly goat. I would love to find him a friend.

We have turkeys and chickens coming in at the beginning of next week...so spring has definitely sprung here at the farm.

Speaking of spring there is nothing like a ton of snow melting and pooling all around the house. We spent the evening digging trenches to send it away from the house. Hopefully we will stop it from making it in.

My girls and I have started seedlings in 20 oz drink bottles and lined the windows with them. We have our own mini greenhouses all around the dining room. I'm looking forward to the snow melting off and being able to be outside.

My Valentine

This week we were asked to make a Vintage type valentine. I love the vintage look, and am working on trying to make it more often. I still have trouble with the layers at times...but will only get better with practice.

I started with a 5 1/2 by 6 in base for my card...in natural (looks like cardboard) paper. I used paper from color bok that looked like old fashioned wall paper.

The first layer is a basic rectangle cut from George & Basic shapes. The second layer is a square also cut with George, then I used scalloped scissors to go around the edges. There is also tags this way on different cartridges...I was just in a mood to play with my "toys". The third layer is a large scallopped flower cut from Paisley...then a lace doily on top of that. On top of the doily is another flower cut from Paisley with a cardboard center cut from my 1 in. punch.
I topped off the card with corrogated cardboard and a wooden button with some shiny thread...used a "With Love" stamp...and called it a Valentine.

Some of the details of the layers....I used a light brown ink to distress the doily so that it aged the appearance. I also used a dark brown ink on the edges of the large scallop flower, the small flower and on the creases of the cardboard. I stamped the sentiment in black.

I love the look of all of the papers together. I am a creature of habit that uses a plain with a matching print...so to mix and match this way is always a challenge. I hope that you like this one.

*ingredients*
plain cardboard brown cardstock, colorbock paper
paper lace doily
cardboard
wooden button
embordiery thread
a With Love stamp
distress ink, rich cocoa brown ink, black ink
George and Paisley cartridges

Hidden Sentiment Card

This week on Sweetsassydiva we were asked to create a card or a layout using a hidden sentiment. This is my first craft back in over a month it seems. I have chosen a "Thank You" card to start...I have a ton of them that need to be made and sent. I do want to thank all of you who had us in thoughts and prayers this month as we went through hubby's surgery and now starting recovery. He still has a long road ahead of him, but he's getting there, he wants to plow the driveway...NOT HAPPENING!!!!

So here I go....

First I used my gypsy to weld a coffee mug from Gypsy Wanderings to it's shadow. Then cut it out on cardstock from DCWV Old World stack. I folded it in half and used small pieces of velcro to hold the top down.

I used my cuttlebug swirls embossing folder to emboss the purple layer of the card which the cup sits.

I added some self stick gems, and stamped a sentiment on the inside of the cup as well as inside the card. (I used a coffee cup because everyone I know except me drinks coffee.)
It's simple and to the point...but filled with a heartfelt thanks. I couldn't have made it through this time without everyone.
*recipe*
jewel toned cardstock except for the coffee cup (because my friends have been real gems...in the best way lately)
cuttlebug embossing folder and sizzix boutique embosser
self stick gems
studio g sentiment