Color Challenge(d)..........

When I was 10, I begged my father to paint my room purple.  He agreed and I picked an ancestor of Orchid Opulence for sure.  After about a week of trying to sleep surrounded by such opulence I begged for a new color.  Again he agreed (what a guy!) and we picked a soft buttery yellow - perfect!  I am just not a purple kind of gal so when I saw this week's PPA challenge to use purple I thought "Well that's definitely a challenge for me!"  But Concord Crush saved the day - finally a purple I can live with!  Playful Pieces and Afterthoughts helped me create this birthday card following the sketch at Stamping411 this week.  And there might be just a bit of buttery yellow in there - perfect!

Funky, Fresh and Fun

I returned home from vacation to boxes and envelopes containing my new  SU! catalog order.  It was a bit overwhelming! Where to begin? But when I saw the wonderful layout from Clean and Simple (FTL100) I thought it was a perfect place to start.  I decided to just let the new products speak for themselves.  The new colors and designer papers are just beautiful!  This is Sunny Garden used with Pear Pizzazz and Poppy Parade - definitely Funky, Fresh and Fun!   

From Blues to Bluegrass.....

From Beale Street and Graceland in Memphis to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, music was everywhere I went this past week.  My daughter and I spent a wonderful week in Tennessee.  Not only was the music terrific but so were the people in Tennessee!  Everything you hear about warm southern hospitality is true.  We knew it was going to be a good week when we heard Tim McGraw welcoming us to Nashville over the PA system as we got off the plane at the airport :)  I arrived home in time to play at PPA this week and let the music inspire me as I followed Margaret Moody's sketch. I used Newsprint DSP, Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight and stamps from Aviary and Picture This.  So Tennessee, it was a wonderful vacation.........(channel Elvis here).......thank you, thank you very much........

Oh How N"ice"...........PPA51.........

Cool white ribbon against Baja Breeze designer paper creates a perfect backdrop for an engagement card made for Pals Paper Arts wedding theme this week. Engagements are so much more fun with a bit of  "ice"!

Royal-Tea.......PPA50.....

Oh we are all creatures of habit in one way or another.  I start and end every day with the Earl of Grey.  Even when I am vacationing at the lake, he comes along.  Pals Paper Arts' color challenge this week was to use So Saffron, Chocolate Chip and Basic Gray.  As I thought about what to create this morning, the answer appeared right in front of me!  I followed the Stamping411 sketch and used a sentiment from Favorite Thoughts.  And last but not least I snipped the string from my tea bag to share with you - there is nothing better than a cup of tea with a friend.......

My Favorite Jeans.......

Here we are in CAS form:  Abby Girl, me, John, Gram, son Mike, Back: Cousin Peter-wife Bernie-son Keaton; daughter Erin - husband Mike; Cousin Cindy- husband Bob & Murphy

Everyone has them - those favorite jeans that fit just right and are oh so comfortable.  And when they finally wear out you are oh so sad!  Pictured above are my favorite "genes". This family shot was taken at the lake July 4th right after we opened a time capsule of notes that we hid 20 years ago.  Mike was 8 then and put in Ninja Turtle cards. Erin was 12 and raved about New Kids on the Block.  My mother listed what we ate and my father wrote a funny poem. For some reason my note was not in with the others.  I felt badly about it but my son told me to be thankful I survived and to forget about the note.  He does have a point! We've lost 4 family members since that day so some messages were bittersweet.  John's grandmother was in her late 70's back then and is no longer with us.  We opened her card last and all it said was "See you in Heaven, Madelyn"............

 

Same crowd "stepped up" for my mother's birthday with Cousin Chris and his wife Claudia added in the back.

No card today - come back tomorrow for PPA's color challenge - I am guest artist so I will be posting right on time!

Happy Fourth of July!

Trying to get a good picture of microbeads is a daunting experience.  You can't get the full effect unless you see them in person.  It reminds me of watching fireworks on TV - it's just not the same.  Pals Paper Arts inspiration photo is wonderful but it makes me want to see the real thing.  So tomorrow morning I am out of here and headed to the lake where I hope to see some fireworks first hand before the weekend is over!

(Colors inspired by Curtain Call Color Challenge: Act 36, Fourth of July theme from Create With Connie and Mary Challenge 105)

Oh yes one of these chairs definitely has my name all over it!