Strawberry Season

We picked these!

A big one...

Bet you can't eat just one...

Row after row of strawberries

Russ in a strawberry patch.

Strawberry picking

 I absolutely love strawberries; picking them, eating them, and taking pictures of them.. This week my sister, Rochelle, my husband, Russ, and I went to Fairwinds Farm in Bowdoinham and picked away. Russ and I picked 8 quarts in no time.
   The weather was perfect for picking. Just enough breeze to keep the bugs off and keep us a little cool.
   Picking is hard on your back though. I think next time I will wear knee pads and sit in the strawberry patch. Closer to nature, don't you know...
   We plan on going back this weekend to get strawberries for our Fourth of July celebration. We are going to Rochelle and Mark's house for a barbecue and a dip in their pool. What fun...
   I took a break from packing today to make two anniversary cards for my sister, Chris and her husband, Tom. It's their 18th wedding anniversary this weekend. I don't usually forget this date because July 2nd is the anniversary of our first date five years ago. It was a great first date. We went to see War of the World with Tom Cruise.

Mom's card

Our card to Chris and Tom

   Anyway, I made one card for my mother to give them and I made a card from us.
   On our card I used a Spellbinders fleur de lis border die cut. I just cut it and turned one side upside down. I added the white ribbon through the middle. The sentiment is on a Spellbinders tag. The embellishments, I hope, give it a wedding like flavor. The card is on Tim Holtz's die cut that is for making cards stand up. Check out the picture to the left. I used grunge board to give it alot of strength.
   On Mom's card  I cased a card I saw on Splitcoast. Here is the link, in case you want to check it out.. The card I cased.  It's really a great card.  I love the folded piece of paper that goes through the middle of the card. I got to use the "bling" that hands down from the ribbon on this card. I purchased this from Tate's in Bath, Maine. The sentiment is on a tag from Spellbinders. The side of the card is a border punch from Martha Stewart's collection.
    I am afraid I am going to have to pack my craftroom soon. I have one more card to make and then it's into packing boxes for about three weeks. It will be like withdrawal. I'll still be blogging, but it will be about my adventures. I sure hope it will be exciting enough to read about..

On the Move!

This is a side view...

   I have been missing my papercrafting this week. My husband and I have decided to move to Yarmouth, Maine. We have bought a cute house there and plan to be moving in with my mom at the end of the month. We have been spending our time packing... I can't buy any new plants or crafting items 'cause I'll just have to pack some more.. Can't wait to move.. My mom is as excited as we are...

This is the front view!

  Here are some pics of the house we are moving to....

This is a small patio.

Isn't this pretty?

This is an expanded cape. I love the plantings that this family has done. My mom and I plan to add more plants here and there. We even hope to have a garden out back next year.  It's exciting, but exhausting when you think of all the packing we have to do. We also have to sell our two condos, too. Here is a link to the site if you are thinking of moving to Maine anytime soon. Condo #1 in Brunswick, Maine  We are selling my mom's condo, too. Here is a link to look at her condo. Condo #2 in Brunswick, Maine 
   I hope to work on my sister Rochelle's birthday card today. It has been raining and miserable here. I need a little break from packing. Oh, I just thought... ummm I have to pack my craftroom soon...That's gonna be hard to do...

Collage Couture

   I have been anxious to try out Julie Nutting's ideas from her book Collage Couture. It really is a wonderful book. My sister, Chris, has been working with Julie's work for a little while now and I have been impressed with her work, too.

First step

  I have been wicked busy with preparations for buying and selling our home, so I have been working for bits of times here and there. Today I took the WHOLE afternoon to complete this project. I used my Weight Watchers magazine and cut out a figure. I then used it as the template for my "girl". I also drew the arm separately, so I could place it on the "girl".
   Next, I cut the template out of cardstock. I added bits of paper here and there...I even cut out a harido from people magazine that I liked. I painted her pony tail hair on as best as I could.  I tried placing different elements on the board,but I wasn't totally happy.

Next step

   I used Claudine Hellmuth's paint  to paint the matboard... that really is the first step. Although you could paint the board after you have made your "girl".

Finished

     
   I decided against the big flower and opted to use my stamp sets: Embrace Life and Baroque Motifs from Stampin Up. I added blue stickles to the flourish and white paint to the flowers to soften them.
Martha Stewart's butterfly punch in shiny gray, I thought was a nice touch.
   I found the sentiment online and thought that it worked well here. I wish I had made the skirt shorter, but I am happy with my first try at Collage Couture. I plan on trying out some other ideas soon.. At least I hope I can with our condos  ready for showing to perspective buyers. Pray we sell right off..
  Oh by the way, this is the link to Julie Nutting's blog and her book, Collage Couture:  .Julie Nutting's Blog  

Graduating Cards....

   It's 11 o'clock and I just finished three graduation card for my sister -in-law, Charlotte and my brother, Hal. They are up from New Jersey for Charlotte's nieces and nephew's graduation and our Aunt Carol and Harry's anniversary party. Charlotte was in desperate need of graduation cards, so I was happy to help out.
   Thank you Jackie Topa for your great design. I cased her cards which you can see on her blog:

For the Graduates

Addicted to Stamping   They were really easy to make.
   I didn't use any stamps, but used  colored paper that went with Biddeford High School's orange and black colors, and the blue and white of UMO.
   I made the graduation cap from 2x2 squares of black card stock and used raised dots to lift them a little off the paper. I borrowed tassels from my sister, Chris who lives down the road. She got them from JoAnn's Fabric. I have to go get some to replace these. Black brads anchored the tassels nicely.
  Jackie does a nice job explaining how she made her cards.  Hope Hal and Charlotte like them.

So romantic....

   The anniversary party today was alot of fun. We got to see friends and family we haven't seen in awhile. Where does the time go. There was a slideshow put to music showing the bride and groom as they moved through the years of their lives. My sister, Andrea and I shed a tear or two. Here's a pic of my Aunt Carol and Uncle Harry was they cut the cake today looking back fifty years to the first time.

Renovation Card!

   It's been a little while since I have had a blog update 'cause my husband and I have been "staging" our condo. We have been packing and depersonalizing. What a job! But our realtor said it was great. Yes, we are selling our condo and hoping to move into a home in Yarmouth, Maine. For those of you who have moved a few times, you know how stressful it can be.
   So I will be blogging sporadically between now and then.. whenever that is... I am going to my aunt's 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday. I have had little time to design a NEW card, so I took a card I had made as a friendship card and turned it into an anniversary card. ( This card is on an earlier blog entry.)
   I added more ribbon, a white feather, and changed the tag to say "happiness always" from "Friendship is Precious". I think it works. Hope Aunt Carol likes it.

Time to celebrate

card with envelope

   By the way, I got the feather from L.L. Bean's fly fishing section. They had a nice selection in different colors. My sister, Chris, shared this idea and we went off to Freeport. The clerk asked us what kind of tying we were doing. Oh brother, we said... no fishing for us. He hadn't heard how popular the feathers were for crafting. They were only 1.50 a bag.. a big bag,too. Check out your local fly fishing department. Great finds there.

An Anniversary to Celebrate.

Happy Anniversary to The Doughtys!

   My mom asked me to make an anniversary card for her sister, Carol and her husband, Harry. I loved the Stampin Up stamp set : Baroque Motif. The swirls seem so elegant. I added pearls from Want 2scrap that almost matched the swirls that I stamped.  A few more gems and pearls were added to give just "a touch" more bling.
   I stamped the swirls with Stampin Up's Going Gray ink. The scalloped edge is from a Martha Stewart border punch. The flowers I picked up at Tate's in Bath. The paper I purchased at JoAnn's Fabric on one of my excursions there.
   On the enveloped I stamped the Baroque Motif swirls in Going Gray and added blue stickles. I really like how it all came out. My mom loved it, too. I have to get going and make my anniversary card to them.  Check back to see what I came up for them.

Ta Dah... Callie's Birthday!

    I am so proud of myself.. This year I was able to make my niece, Callie, a birthday card. When I was teaching, June was the busiest month.. I am so happy that now that I am retired I can make cards for the people I love and care about.
   I think the colors I used makes me think of Callie out on her North Haven Island. I was super happy that I could use the new bling from Heartfelt Creations. It was wicked easy to place the bling on the matching Spellbinders tag.

For Callie

    I love the white flower from Prima that has the dewy drops on it. The hat pins are from Mark's Finest Papers. So pretty!  I can't remember where the paper came from, but I love it.. It's so shiny...
   The sentiment is from Stampin Up from the Delight in Life set. The gold heart and fan I picked up somewhere.. Can't remember just where, though. I had alot of fun putting this together for Callie. Hope she likes it..

Watering Can Renovation!!

   I finished it!! It took a little work and fixing boo boos, but I finally feel like it's done and I can start using my watering can again. My mom gave it to me because it leaked. So I used  little silicone gel to "plug" the leak and thought "Why can't I make this can sing", so to speak. I had a ball adding "bling" here and there. I really like how much improved it is.. What do you think?

One side...

and there.....

Butterflies here...

A little bling...

 I am watering my plants this afternoon with this new can. I am sure it will make a huge difference in their growing .. I know it will make me water them more often..I am ready to start a new project. My sister, Chris (Figaro: Calla Lily Cards) has started working with Julie Nutting's work on Collage Couture. It looks very interesting.. Check back and see what's up on my next project... Thanks for looking!!!