Morning Glory and Plain and Simple

I have been trying to make some clean and simple cards since I have to mail one every week.  I need to be able to create something that doesn't take me all day.  I happened to get inspiration from Pinterest and I came up with these 2 cards that I just love.   I used an old stamp from Stamping Up and I think it's called Morning Glory.  I made matching envelopes with my envelope punch which I just love now that I have mastered how to use it.  Making your own envelopes is fun and rewarding as you can make a size to fit exactly what you need.  You should be able to click on and they will get bigger.  I added some Wink of Stella on the morning glory and it shimmers but it's hard to say in photo.  I just love that pen.

HAPPY VALENTINE

I can't believe I only made one valentine card this year.  Oh well, time is of the essence in my life.  But I did have a good time putting this one together.  I used my new MS punch and sewed some pretty ruffle on the bottom.  Used some scrap paper I had for the background and some bling beading from Prima.  Viola done.  I'm sending this to someone so it won't be wasted.  Where does the time go?

Crafty Secrets Flower Garden

This is my linky entry for Crafty Secrets this month.  I used their new digi "Flower Garden".  I just love all the digis in this set.  There are quite a few and all individual so you can put them together however you like.  I did a lot of fussy cutting in this one.  The picture does not do it justice I fear.  I popped up each flower and leaf behind the vase.  I put Utee on the vase to make it shiny.  I used my alcohol ink pens to color and I made the background paper with Dyan Reaveley's Dylusion spray and a stencil.    It looks much better in person as I have popped the flowers in the vase and the "sweet flowers" verse.  It really is cute if I do say so.

SMILE, LAUGH, INSPIRE

This is a card I made today to send to a chemo patient.  It was not what I had intended at all but I like it anyway.  I double stamped the image and popped it up. I used my water color pencils with water and a paint brush to color the flower and Tim Holtz distress pens for the leaves.  I rubbed Tim's distress ink into the background and sprayed with water to blend.    I distressed the edges of the paper and then added a tiny bit of diamond Stickles to add just a touch of bling.

Crafty Secrets Fairy Wishes

Here is my entry for Crafty Secrets January Linky Party.  This is a digital from their Fairy Wishes collection.  I just love all the digis in this set.  They are so much fun to work with.

The Call

Outside I hear the falling of the rain, slow at first and then a crescendo of water symphony picking up the pace only to gently cease once again to a gentle pitter patter of drops.  I love the rain.  It washes away the dust from the air and the smell is overpowering lending itself to a brand new chapter, a new day, a restart of something fresh.  Life is like that.  Each day we face new challenges, new beginnings, a hope of a tomorrow that will lead us to something wonderful.  Only once in awhile you may hit a rut in the road that knocks the air right out of your sails.   A blow so devastating that you suck in your breath and feel as if you will never breath again. 

August 22, 2013 I had surgery for a total shoulder replacement.  Outside a few complications nothing to do with the shoulder, it went fine.  I was in and out of the hospital in 4 days and finally back home where I could recover in my familiar surroundings, the comfort of my own home.  I find the older you get the longer it takes to recover, but I was determined to be bouncing back in 2 weeks. 

On the 4th day home the phone rang.  Somehow I knew if I picked up that phone it was going to be the one call I did not want.  I hesitated and  said "hello".  It was my sister-in-law and I could tell by her voice this was not going to be a conversation I wanted to hear.  My brother had passed away that morning.  My brother whom I had grown to love so dearly, the brother who I discussed my life with almost everyday of the year.  My brother who laughed with me, at  me and who I confided my deepest secrets with.  The one who was my rock, my safe place to fall.  Please God not this one person in my life who I loved and adored.

It's been 2 weeks and yet seems so long ago.  It still has not sunken in that he is no longer here.  I miss his daily calls "Sunshine, whatcha doin' Sunshine?".  I still can't erase his phone number from my phone, I leave it there, hoping that by some miracle, it will show up as him calling.  By erasing it would mean he no longer exists and I can't handle that.  Not right now.

So until that day comes, the day that I can remember without crying, think without the pain of losing someone you love, I'll just wait for that call that never comes to hear "Sunshine, whatcha doing Sunshine?"  I love you bro - always have and always will. 

Your broken-hearted sister, Brenda

Home Coming 2012

It was dark and it was cold and drippy rain but we managed to capture a few pictures.  Not everyone got out of the bus because there were a couple of girls that had on the most beautiful poofy tulle dresses.  I don't blame them because it was cold but not one of the girls wore so much as a sweater.  Brrrrrrr.  You can click on one picture to see them all bigger.  Sean is on the far left of the group and the one with the boys he's the 2nd one from the right.  The ones of him in the kitchen are before everyone got there.

Above - Inside the bus - a portion of it anyway.

 Sean is on left

 Mr GQ

Sean and his date

Sew Me Some Art

I love this background paper.  It makes me so happy to look at it.  I don't know why, maybe it's because it's so so vintage and I love sewing.  In any case I think it's just adorable.  The recipe is as follows:

Crafty Secrets CD#3 background

Graphic 45 - button and tape

sewing machine

7 gypsies - pin

Stampers Anonymous - big form

Computer generated verse

I also sponged up the edges and popped up the small and large dress form.  Large form was put on chipboard and popped - smaller one cut out from original pattern, also popped the measuring tape.

Patio 2012

After getting wiped out from hail again this year I managed to save a few plants and had to start all over again.  I do love sitting out early in the morning which is the only time you can actually enjoy it with this heat wave we have been in.  I'm posting the pics here so that you can see them all at one time instead of opening one at a time in email.  You can click on them to make them bigger.  Scroll down and see the notes I put on the bottom of a few of these before going to bigger view.

I have 3 whole peppers on that plant on the 2 white buckets

These are my morning glories I just love

My strawberry plants in the middle.

See my little tin flower - I got this at the greenhouse for 99 cents.  It must have fallen off something and I just love it.

My throw rugs to cover up the chippy floor that needs to be sanded and restained.

My 2012 Calendar

I finally made a calendar to use up some of my Graphic 45 scrap paper.  I hate throwing away good paper.  These are almost all Graphic 45 except I did mat them on coordinating card stock in case I wanted to switch it over and make a calendar going in reverse for 2013.  I used Tim Holtz die to cut out the calendars. the calendars themselves are a download purchased from Flourishes.   I wanted to keep them fairly clean and simplified but cute.  I used my Zutter to bind and various other embellishments - too many to mention.  I just dug through all my crap wonderful assortment of things and used whatever came to mind.  Hope you like and thank you for looking.  Have a wonderful year all!  You can click on the photos to make larger.

this is the inside of front and back covers

Valentine's Day - Be Still My Heart

Simon Says Stamp and Show Song Title Entry

"Love Ain't Love Till you Give it Away"

This is my entry based on the song title by Reba McEntire.  For this card I used the cutout frame from the La Rue heart to sponge in Real Red ink.  Then I laid the cutout heart over the top.  I used a digi from  Digital Pencil Too and cut out the words separately.  I really like this card and that's unusual for me because I don't normally like things I design.  But I so love the couple and the heart.  Hope you enjoy.  Getting ready for early Valentine since I really skipped over the last holiday so badly.

Romantique by Graphic 45

I can't belive it's been so long that I haven't created a card.  Where does the time go I ask you?  It took me like forever to do this one and there really wasn't that much to do.  I used Graphic 45 paper "Romantique" and I cut out the roses and border from my Crafty Secrets CD #2.  I adore the La Rue heart from Memory Box.  I just had to have that one the minute I laid eyes on it.  You can't tell from this picture but the heart itself is not lying flat - it's humped up a little bit and the roses are raised up also.  I do like the colors.  Added a little bit of bling with some beige pearls and a tiny verse.  I love romance. Everyone say ahhhhhhh.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wanted to post this again as last year.  I just love it - it kind of says it all.

Thanksgiving Blessing


Lord, today I am so truly

thankful for so many things.

You have blessed me in so many ways.

I thank You for the wonderful country

I live in...and for all its many heroes.

I thank You Lord for my wonderful family

and friends. They are my greatest blessing.

Thank You Lord for the creatures you have put

on earth for us all. They teach us so much,

unconditional love, loyalty, and understanding.

I ask You Lord that all who suffer with illness

have this day free from pain.

Thank You Lord for all who have tables filled

with food and someone to share it with.

And for those that have no family or food,

Lord, I ask that You comfort them.

I thank You Lord for the time I had with my

loved ones that have gone on to be with You.

They shall always be loved and greatly missed.

Thank You Lord for allowing me to have love

and understanding in my heart.

It is these many blessings that make my

humble life happy and fulfilled.

Thank You Lord…..Amen

~Charlotte Anselmo ~

May your Thanksgiving

be blessed with love and peace

Magnolia Love and Etsy Inspired Challenge

This is a card made for the Etsy Inspired Challenge at XS Baggage Company.  Wax Fruit Company is the sponsor this week.  All you need to do is go to XS Baggage and get inspired by one of their items listed.  My card was inspired by the MacBook Air 11 Inch Padded Netbook Sleeve Case Cover.  I just love the colors in this.
This is a wonderful magnolia image from the Wax Fruit Company.  You should check out Ariel's site if you haven't done so already.  She has some really lovely lovely images.  The recipe is:

• Digi Stamp:  Wax Fruit Company
• Ink:  SU Crumb Cake 
• Paper:  Archivers lime peel
• Miscellaneous:  SU Die, Cuttlebug folder, flourish stamp unknown, Stickles, Prisma pens  Inked the edges with a little Tea Dye distress by Tim Holtz.

SPRING

This is my entry for the Simon Says Stamp challenge.  This week's theme is one word - any one of your choice.  That is just so clever.  I've been wanting to use some of the digis that I downloaded from Digital Two for Tuesday.  The bench is just so cute and I love the big bush of sunflowers.  I colored with watercolor pencils and my Prisma pens.  I used Spellbinders new Nested Leaves for the leaves on the big sunflower and also the sunflower itself.  I just love Spellbinders.  The word I chose was "Spring" which was Tim Holtz alpha cuts.  I also used Tim Holtz Texture Fade embossing folder Woodgrain for the background paper and also on the leaves.  Hope you like and Happy Spring to you!

SAVED CARDS TO VIEW

Here are some cards I had made and took pics of but forgot to post.  One is even Christmas - oh my goodness - that long huh?  Time just seems to slip away from me and before you know it another year has passed.