Lookie What I Gottie for My 60th Birthday

 
Yes...I really did receive this for my birthday. My youngest dd was just dying to get me one...she's tired of getting me stamp-related stuff and she knows I love technie stuff in small packages. Ha Ha. The iphone has to be one of the best inventions since sliced bread...what a fabulous toy. Yeah, I know, I know most people use theirs for work, but I'm retired and I am still finding lots of uses for it. It downloads books...can you believe it. It has so many apps (short for applications), like GPS and podcasts and calendars galore, and Utube and, of course, you can read your email and delete it or save it...Can you tell I'm gushing??!!
OK, so save your dollars...live without a few sets of stamps for a month or so and go get yourself one of these babies. Suggestion:Go through AT&T. They are the only vendors besides Apple and have your family (at least 3 members)go in on it with you. This will reduce the price. Of course, there is a contract and gone are the days of a 1 yr. contract. Also, there are 3 different iphones. Unless you are super business oriented and technie savvy, you don't need more than the 3G. There's also a military and federal discount. Let me tell you, this thing is taking off like gangbusters. I read there are 4 colleges who are giving YES..giving their incoming freshmen iphones to enhance their studies, among other things. I tell ya', it's the bomb!!!

Clean & Simple

I know...it's been a while. I get so incredibly busy sometimes. I just don't understand how some bloggers can be so dedicated to posting with all there is to do in life. I don't want blogging to become a job for me. I want it always to be fun, so I am not going to beat myself up if I don't blog often.
I went to my nephrologist last week and she gave me good and bad news. I've lost 8 lbs. and my exercising and eating right are beginning to pay-off. My hypertension meds are being cut in half. Yippie, but the bad news is my cholorestol which was never an issue, has become a mild one. I want to try diet to control it, but she wants me on meds for now. She says it's difficult to control w/o meds and that oatmeal is mostly hype. Bummer...she knows how I dislike the burden of medicine. But I will do as she says and continue to eat right as she will be seeing me in 3 months and wants me to lose 10 more lbs. by then. I believe I can do it.
My 60th birthday is this Friday. My youngest dd has already given me my present. Well, I kinda' had to participate in the gifting, as she had to convince me that "I needed" it. She is so tired of giving me stamping related stuff. So, I saw it and was convinced and I have been playing with it ever since. For now, all I will say is it's the bomb!! You have to wait a bit to see it until I can get some good photos.
So, here's my card. This is just a basic card that I used with a stamp I adore, my CB swiss dot folder and an oval Nestie. It is a clean & simple card in my opinion.
Hope you like it.

Have the best week you can and get a little stampin' will ya?

Blog Banner Day

It's a blog banner day for me today....'cause I finally figured out to get my award in the right place. I received it some time ago from D World of Marlene (see link on my sidebar), but clueless blogger that I am, I couldn't figure out how to get it where it belonged, so it sat in a post and grew older and older. Boo Hoo...no one could see it, and I couldn't brag!! I also added my fairy name. I found that little gadget on a fairy blog somewhere. I don't know if Christians can have this sort of thing going. We believe in angels, but fairies, I don't think there is any mention of them in the Bible. If one of my legions of readers can bring me up to speed on the Christian outlook on fairies, I would be only too happy to hear from them.
In the meantime, here is a card made for my "project." I did masking with this Hero Arts stamp. It is so simple to color. If I had to do this card again, I would have done more matting...2 at least. And I don't think I care for the ticket punch corners. But I love the coloring and the paper choices. That's the Spellbinders ribbon slides and a bit of ribbon to finish it off.
Well, now that my award is in the right place, I suppose I'd better make every effort to continue to be deserving of it. I am going to try to learn a new blog technique every week. Next, I need to figure out how to make it so that when my card is clicked on to make it larger, the card doesn't get too large. I believe I saw a hint about that from one of the bloggers in my Google Reader list, so I'll have to hunt it down.
So, tomorrow is Mojo Monday...maybe I'll catch the sketch before I hit the sack. But that has to be in less than an hour. I have to catch a little coolness to go walking in the morning. I'm on my 2nd week and already am feeling better. That little coolness is between 6 and 7 AM, here in Arizona. We're 20 days into the monsoon, with no rain to speak of...just the grumblings of thunder and a light show here and there.
I hope you have a blessed week and try a little stampin' now and again.
Erica

It's Mojo Monday, #95

I missed a few Mondays, but I enjoy these sketches and I can usually get a card made using one in under an hour...sometimes it takes me another hour to pick out stamps and paper. I needed a jumpstart and I can always depend on Mary to help me do just that. Her card was so adorable I just had to almost copy it here http://www.stampinpretty.com/2009/07/woo-hoo-its-mojo-95.html. Mary recenly moved to AZ....She's 2 hrs. away from me in Tucson. I hope we meet up someday.
This stamp is from SU's "Always In My Thoughts." I think it's retired recently. It's a handy set because it has great sentiments that fit small squares, or in this case, Nesties. So here I've used two different Nestie sets. Also, the EK Success border punch fleur de lis (sp?) note...I will likely get the fleur de lis pendant Wizard just released. This EK punch is my favorite one. I like how you can use the 'negatives' as corners . The navy mat is cuttlebuged with the Love Language folder...note...I'm super excited about the 11 new folders I purchased from HSN. They're on their way already per HSN. The base is SU's baja breeze and it's definitely retired as it was an In Color last year. The navy mat is the back of a used Christmas card. Do any of you recycle your cards in this way? I have a dear friend where I worked before retirement, who kindly saves them for me after Christmas. I detach whatever parts look re-usable. You'd be surprised how you can get some nice cardstock in this way. Buttons that I sewed on, and SU white satin ribbon round the card out. I colored with SU markers and the pot was done with gamsol and pencil to achieve some shading.
If you want to play on Mojo Monday, see my sidebar link to visit.
Hope your week is off to a good start and you'll get some stamping in as a stress-relief method.

Card Box of the Day

Hi everyone....well, I'm quite proud of myself. I resisted buying the Cricuit on HSN yesterday. WHOOPIE. You've no idea how much I want that machine. It will take my stamping to a new level. Heaven knows that after 7 yrs. stamping, I could use it. Now that's not meant to put myself down. I am proud of my creations, but it has taken me so long to get there and I couldn't have done it withoug stamping friends, both those who I meet with regularly in person and those whose blogs I subscribe to, not forgetting the fab SCS galleries.
So, here's one of those card box projects made for my "paid projects." Only, this one was a freebie I gave to my customer for giving me the chance to get paid for doing what I love.
Love this ds paper from K & Company...CB corners, and Nesties labels, a little bling, SU gold cord, and a sentiment that we should all take to heart and remember to do. The box held 5 cards & envies, which we'll get to as the weekend rolls along.
And that reminds me....do have a safe, healthy and fun one and get a little stampin' in, will ya'?
Erica

Happy HSN Scrapbooking Day

Hi my legions of fans. I've been busy watching HSN...that's Home Shopping Network to those who may have been hiding under a rock...seriously, is there anyone who doesn't know about HSN.com? They're starting their 32nd year and I can honestly say that I've been with them off and on for 30 of those years. I've easily made 50 or so purchases in the last 10 years. I've been satisfied with almost everything.
One of the things their buyers have improved on over the years, is their scrapbooking shows. They have become much more "with it" and have a variety of items to show. Today, they're show-casing the Cricuit with Juke Box. Yes, it's pricy, but it does seem to have all the bells & whistles a gal needs for at least a year :) . Now...don't go getting excited, 'cause I can't afford this baby. I don't own any Cricuits. But that doesn't stop me from drooling. And it goes without saying that I've tried to convince dh for years that life would be so much better if I had one. But, alas since we're both retired, with senior-type med bills and the economy such as it is and our investments such as they are, it's not an option. But, ya' know I had to have somethingj today right? So, I bought the Crafters' Ultimate Companion, which my friend and I have been oogling for a week or two on other sites. HSN's price is unbeatable even with tax & s/h. Then I bought the new CB folder bundle of 11. Figured I'd eventually get almost all of them anyway here and there, so why not put myself out of my misery and get 'em all at once.
So here's your enabling tip for the PM. There is one more Scrapbooking show left in the day. It's on in the next
one and a half hours. Go check it out on TV or on their website, if you happen to be still at work. http://www.hsn.com/ You won't be sorry...uh, maybe your wallet will...SORRY!
Here's one of those cards that was included in my "paid project" Created with ds paper from a pad and using the EK Success punch, a CB die for the corner, Nesties labels; the cone is a $ stamp form Michaels, with a little crystal lacquer on the "ice cream" and the "thanks" is from SU's "So Many Sayings."

Hugs, Erica

Hubby's Birthday Too

Well, today was extra busy...mostly just cooking for my hubby's 68th birthday. He feels so blessed to be still alive. He is semi-handicapped in a wheelchair..somewhat able to care for himself, but I am more caretaker than wife these days. I don't begrudge this, I am more saddened by it. He has not helped himself to be better than he is. He gave up, so to speak, about 3 years ago.
Well, we said a "Birthday" prayer that I love from "My Prayer Book." It's a lovely small red covered book that cost $4 ten yrs. ago and has been a valuable source of comfort and peace to me. It is well-worn with many bookmarked pages. I use it daily.
So dh and I thank our Heavenly Father for another year gone and look forward to the next one....I, to soldier on and learn to glorify the Lord even in rough times it patience and love, and dh, to soldier on loving God no matter what the Lord's will is for him . Hallalujah that we both fear and love God, who is Holy and the source of our very being.
I haven't made any cards in 2 days...super weird for me as I'm in the habit of making something daily. But cleaning the house, shopping and cooking as well as my usual stuff I do for dh has kept me busy, so I continue to show you some of the paid projects done for my friend Vicki. I love this paper. It's flocked and I found it in Costco, of all places. I used Nesties, ribbons and flowers and a pearl to enhance it. It's one of the card cases from the The Cutting Cafe. I have a link in an earlier post. The inside uses CB folders. I'm not sure why it is sideways. In Picassa (my photo editor), it was perfectly straight. But I think you can get the idea. So much to learn...so little time...the story of my life!
I hope your 4th was a blessed one with fun times shared with loved ones and not tooo much to eat. Can't say the same for myself.
Erica

It' July

Well, this month is jam-packed with family events. My husbands' and my birthdays, our 18th anniversary, and my two oldest grands' birthdays. How am I gonna afford any of the new Cuttlebug, Wizard and Stampin' Up stuff, will someone tell me???

I've already gotten my birthday present.. My new little kitten, Star. (Scroll down to see pics). I'm still trying to collect the old CB and Wizard stuff. I can probably live w/o SU stuff for a while, as there is so much competition for them. I have even a comparable paper source at Paper Temptress here http://www.papertemptress.com/. Add to this, the variou digi stamping stores. Well let me say, this is going to be one temptation month. The Lord is surely tempting me...that much I believe.

And to think, I was going to take a break from stamping. I can't do it, I tell ya' there's just toooo much fun to be had.

So here's one of those set cards I've been going on about.

Happy Wednesday my legions of fans. I'm off to make sure my little Star's health is prospering at the vets.