A Wonderful Season

Evy with her friend...

   We just came back from a Disney trip with our son's family. We had such a good time. Our granddaughter, Evy, had never flown before so we were wondering how she would do.
   She was a "trooper". Slept through most of the airplane ride. When we got to Orlando, she was thrilled to see her friend, Mickey, on the wall. Love this picture of her at the airport with Mickey.

Walking around the airport

  Kristin had bought this tether to use around Disney. It was great and Evy loved wearing it. There is a little bear on the back which was too cute. She knew when she put it on she would be going for a walk. She loves to walk.

Fish watching

Magic Kingdom

    I didn't know how much she loved fish. We were at the Nemo attraction which has these huge fish tanks with turtles, dolphins, and many other sea animals. She just loved it.

   Disney World was decorated for the Christmas season. It was lovely to

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see all the beautiful trees and wreaths around. 

   We were at Beach Club where they have a chocolate carousel.  I could have jumped the plants and taken a little bit of the yummy looking tail of the horse.   

   It was a fabulous trip. One that we will always remember. We had planned for this trip for quite awhile and it was everything we had hoped it would be. Can't wait for when we all go again.

Meeting Goofy

Our Christmas card this year.




   

 I was so proud and relieved that I got our Christmas cards done before the Disney trip. I had purchased this Memory Box die called "Glowing Candles".  I had seen this die used on a number of card on Pinterest. I loved those cards and decided to do my own take on them.

   I came up with this design. I used Spellbinders nestabilities die for the oval shape design. The word, "Noel" is from  a Spellbinders collection of holiday words. I also used stickles for adding bling with the candles and berries. Copic markers were used to color the leaves and candles. I really like how it came out.

   My girlfriend, Elaine, and I finished making this  box to house the wedding  album we have been working on for her son and daughter -in-law a few months now.

    The box works great for keeping everything in one place. I had a ball building the box.  It is made from black chipboard. I just used cardstock to hinge the sides together.

 

   Elaine had some wonderful paper that pulled the whole project together. She really has "an eye" for what works. The title  is on a Spellbinders die that has an art deco design to it. 

   The ring is from a Tim Holtz collection . I love how you use it to pull open the box. 

   This holiday season has been wonderful for us. I will end this post with a picture

Loving the music

of Evy watching The Lion King Festival performance at Animal Kingdom. She loves monkeys so we knew she would love this show. 

   Merry Christmas Everyone!

Where Does the Time Go!

Kangamangus Highway

     October has shown us some beautiful trees turning their fall colors. I love this time of  year. We went to New Hampshire and loved the beauty of the Kangamanus Highway. Breathtakiing.
  Our walks around town have been just as awesome. The crips weather makes walking a good exercise for us.

Our Yarmouth walk

 I made this birthday card for my niece's son, Everett, He turned 2 in October.  The penguin  is made from my Stampin Up owl punch. Just cut off the ears and use them as the fins for the penguin.
  I had already purchased the sentiment die from Spellbinders. The balloons are a punch also from Stampin Up. I was inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest.   

Happy Birthday,Everett!

  I have been cooking more with the cooler temperatures. I made this Taco Pie from Pillsbury crescent roll tube. It only takes one tube. I love that is so easy and it came out so good.
  Cook the  hamburg ahead and just add salsa from a jar. I used shredded cheese on top. Cook on 375 for 14 minutes and then add the chopped lettuce and tomato.  Yum...It is good the next day too.

Just add a dollop of sour cream....perfect!

      I finished making my Halloween cards, but forgot to take a picture of them. I will have to get a picture and put them on my blog next time. Bummer.
  I have finished  my Halloween bags for our Trick of Treaters just in time. I saw this idea of Pinterest, of course. I sat and watched TV as I used a black marker to draw the faces of these ghastly looking ghosts. It was fun and kinda relaxing,

Casper is cuter that these guys. 

I stamped the sentiment in the corner. It is a stamp from Craftsmart. I don't buy the candy until just before Halloween night 'cause I am a chocolate fiend. I bought the bags at Michaels in Biddeford. I am not filling the bags full of candy, but will fold the bags part way from the top and tape them shut. I think trick of treaters will get a kick out of them..

Welcome, Rosalie...

    We traveled to New Jersey last weekend for my DH to enjoy going to a football game with my brother, brother- in-law and a few friends. He had a great time. I enjoyed shopping with my sister-in-law, Charlotte and her daughter, Jill. We had a ball ! Cheesecake Factory has the most awesome food.
  We also got to meet and spend time with Amelia and her new baby sister, Rosalie. What good little kids Jill is raising. Love this picture of Jill and Rosalie.

Nap time.

  We also got to watch the Sunday football game at the Wallace  home with their huge 65 inch TV/ It was awesome. Our granddaughter, Evy , really wasn't into the game. Kristin had her in her lap for just a few minutes and she was out like a light.
  I love this picture of the two of them.


   I am working on getting our flower/vegetable gardens ready for winter. We finally got the rain we needed to help with the drought we had this summer. Amen!

    I will leave you with some more pictures of our glorious fall season her in Yarmouth, Maine.

Falling leaves

Looking up...

August Goes Too Quickly

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   August is a month filled with birthdays in my family so I am busy making cards. This card was made for my sister, Andrea.  I love the Julie Nutting design of doll stamps. This is one of her designs. It reminds me of when I use to play with those paper dolls as a kid.
   The "Joie De Vivre" sentiment is from Graphic 45. I used Tim Holtz's die cut easel stand to make this tag stand. You can put your feelings on the back even with the easel stand there.

The back

Ikea utility cart

    I am so proud that I was able to put this whole cart together without any help from Russ. Well, he did have to tighten one wheel for me. But I did everything else. I went to Massachusetts this past weekend and my sister, Adrianne, took me to the Ikea in her neighborhood.
    I loved it. So much to see and so little time. This is where I bought this cart for only 30.00. A very durable cart with wheels that move around on the rug easily.

Love their display of clocks.

   I am going to use it to store  my flower collection. I also plan to put my Julie Nutting stamps and Sizzix pop up die cut plates.
   I will share a picture next time of how I organized some of my stuff and where I plan to put it in my craftroom. I think I could use another one and place them side by side. We will see...

Beautiful paper...

I am working with  my girlfriend, Elaine, on a wedding album for her son and daughter-in-law. She has chosen a beautiful paper collection. The picture at the right is just two pages she has done so far. It will be gorgeous. Thank goodness we do not have a deadline, so we can take our time and really put our creative minds together.
   I will post pictures when it is done. I might even show you with a video.
 

Sunflowers I grew...

   These are the sunflowers I grew this summer from seeds. They are quite gorgeous now.  I am pretty proud. However, these were suppose to be the 18 inch ones and they were not. Someone put the wrong seeds in the packet.
    Oh well, they are still pretty, but way too tall. Almost like cutting down a tree to get to the flowers.
   I love the fall with the weather being my kind of weather. Warm days with light breezes and cool nights are just right.
   I am working on so many projects that I hope to have more to share in  my next post.
   Happy Fall!!!

August is Birthday Month!

Happy Day, Rochelle!

  I have been working mostly on birthday cards for my siblings. I have 6 of them and three of them have birthday in August. My other sister had hers at the end of July. So you see it is a busy time.
  For my sister, Rochelle, I mad this tag card. I used Julie Nutting's paper doll. I attached a butterfly for her wings that I had lying around. I really love how she looks with the pom pom lace around her skirt.
  The sentiment is so perfect. My sister, Chris, asked if I had a stamp for the letters or used the computer. What a compliment since I just used my own handwriting. She was surprised it looked so good, since my handwriting stinks. And I taught handwriting to third graders for 32 years!  My teaching must have rubbed off on me.
  The card stands up. I used a Tim Holtz die cut that makes into a stand. I also used some of Tim Holtz stencils to make the background design. I really love how it came out.

Back view

Top vies

Side view

  I have been working on making this golf cart card for my brother-in-law, Tom. He is an avid golfer.
  I bought the directions for this cart from Lori Heiling. You can find her directions at  Stamping Addict  Her directions are great but the template she gives you is missing some dotted lines to help you know where to fold. I figured it out, but be aware. The directions only cost around 4.00. Well worth it,
  The cart is suppose to hold a gift card on top, but I just made it the place for the sentiment.
  I made the first card in a green cardstock, but did not like it as well. So I made this one that seems to fit with what most golf carts look like in real life.
  I have a Stampin Up stamp set that is called "On the Green". This is where I fuzzy cut out the golf bags and used my Copic markers to color. I also stamped the golf balls and tees from this collection.

Two Lights State Park

  On the whole I really like how it came out. Now you can not flatten this out for mailing, so it has to be an "in person" delivery.
   After all that hard work, Russ took me to Two Lights State Park which was beautiful. The weather has been so humid but I was actually chilly near the water.
  We had lobster rolls from the Lobster Shack which were delightful, if you like lobster which I do.                                                                    

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 They put a gob on mayonaise on the top which you can mix in with the lobster to make the salad. I scraped off quite a bit because I do not need that much mayo. I like that I could mix it myself. It was quite yummy.  

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  We have been having a grand time with our granddaughter, Evy. She is growing up so fast. Her parents bought her this sandbox which is adorable. She loves to move the sand around. I love watching her do it. She is talking so much more now. It is so cute when she tries out a new word and doesn't quite get every sound. I love hearing her try..
  Hoping she says "Grammy" soon. I would take "Gammy" even.

Silver Bullet

  Well, we bought a new car. It is kinda sad 'cause we traded in our Honda van for a Honda CRV. The van has been great for taking family members with us on fun trips. But we wanted to save money on gas and go to the SUV. I love the color, but hard to find with all the other sliver cars in the parking lot.
  It doesn't use a key to start. You push a button. What would my grandparents say about that. I am going to  have to get use to it too.
  My friend, Elaine, has started a new wedding album.  She has started working on the cover and it is coming out great. Here is a peek at what she is doing.

Great color choices

   I love working with a creative person. It should be wicked fun seeing this album come together. Stay tune for more pics as we move ahead.      

Here Comes August!

Wow! The heat has been quite opressive as of late. Hoping the rest of the week gets better. I have been working on a few projects and some cards.
  Here is the card that I made for my sister, Adrianne, who lives in Massachusetts.

Front

Inside

 I wanted to do a pop up card,  I was so happy when I stumbled across the Sizzix Karen Burnston die cut.
  It makes such a nice decorative edge. As long as you remember the way to fold it, you are going to come out right every time. Of course, I had to watch a video to remember the steps. I plan on using this die and others that I have to insert into the base. Easy peasy...

   I also made a card for my brother, Hal. He has a birthday on the first day of August. We already celebrated his birthday on July 4th when we all went down to surprise him.

My brother.... 

 I made his card from an idea I found on Pinterest.
I added a bit here and there and I think Hal will
really like it since he likes funny cards.

Another Pinterest Inspiration

   I really like how I used scraps of paper I have left over from other projects.
  I used the bird punch from Stampin Up to make the flames.

Ha.. Ha... love it...

  The "Happy Birthday" stamp is from
Hero Arts.
  I used the computer to type out the funny saying, Hope he likes it.

From my garden...

   



           I put this picture of a blossom from my blue hydrangea bush because I am so proud to have grown it. The blue is a perfect color that I did nothing to it to make it that color. I think the pine trees that grow near it give the soil the acidity that it needs for that color. Love flowers.
 

Pretty sights...

Well July went sailing by. We often  go to my friend, Elaine's cottage for breakfast in the summer , if the weather is cooperating. This past week Russ decided he wanted to go out in the water in front of her cottage for a look see of the shore. I thought he was nuts, but he wanted to go. He got some good exercise while checking out the sights.
That is what summer is for I guess.
  And taking our granddaughter to the park for a slide down the slide. She just loves the fun of sliding down. We love seeing her smile.
  Hope you have a wonderful rest of the summer. Enjoy!

Our granddaughter, Evy.

  

Into July!

Hal"s cake

   Where has the time gone? We are already into July and I did not blog the whole month of June. Summer goes too quickly.
   We just came back from New Jersey where we had a great time surprising my brother, Hal, on his upcoming 60th  birthday in August. His wife,Charlotte and daughters, Jill and Cindy, planned a great time with family and friends.
   It is hard to surprise Hal since he tries to figure out everything. But they were just too clever for him.
  It was a great time, but glad to be back home in Yarmouth, Maine.
 

Fun for all...

 These are scenes of the Fourth of July barbecue that Hal and Charlotte, with help from their friends, put on every year. We got to go this year 'cause we were there.

What beautiful weather for the Fourth.

The food was fabulous.

 

The box

Hal's daughter, Jill, is expecting their second child in August. I made a card in a box for the baby's arrival.
   I have the Spellbinder's die for this project. It is so much easier than measuring and folding, plus you get two decorative edges that you see in the pictures. Love it.

It fold to fit in an envelope.

  I used some stamps from Stampin Up for the animals and bunny die cut for decorating and filling the box. Some images I took off the computer to add more pink color. Did you guess that they are having a girl?

The back has a pocket for money holdings.

Another type of lettuce

  We have been weeding our garden for three days straight. We have not planted as much as we have in the past. I have a section for cut flowers. The lettuce is really doing well.

One type of  lettuce

Garden project done!

   This garden project I wanted to do last year but never got around to it. I found the buckets at The Christmas Tree Shop for a song.
  I stained them and sprayed a rubber protection on the inside and sprayed outdoor poly to protect the outside.
  Filled the buckets with soil and bought annuals.
  The pump my sister found for me at a flea market. My husband anchored the pump to the bucket with bolts after putting pieces of wood across the back of both buckets.
  Love how it came out. Next year I might put it in front of the mailbox.

Two fellas with sttawberries

  We went on our annual strawberry picking trek with my sister, Rochelle , and her husband, Mark. The fields were full of huge strawberries at Fairwinds Farm in Bowdoinham. We had a great time. It only took about 20 minutes to pick what you see in the picture. We froze quite a bit after eating strawberry shortcake for a few days.

A beautiful day for family fun

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The ducks were a hit....

 In June we took a trip to York's Animal Kingdom with our son, Nathaniel, and his family. What a blast! Evy thought it was great fun.
   We saw so many different animals. Evy loved the ducks, though. She could walk right up to them and feed them.
   We saw an ostrich, zebras, monkeys, and many more.

A long day for Evy...

Well, July has been a busy month. I am sure the rest of the summer will be equally fun. We are planning a trip up North in the Lake Madawaska region. That should be wicked fun. We will be golfing, junking, and looking for craft stores. 
   Will be blogging after we get back to let  you know what all the goings on there are up country . 
    Enjoy the rest of the month of July!