Friday, July 31, 2009

Stages of My CHF Masterboard/One Sheet Wonder!

So, I thought I would share with you the steps I am taking to make my last and final project(s) for the Cornish Heritage Farms Summer Design Star Challenge.

The last challenge is to make a One Sheet Wonder (also known as a Masterboard), and then cut it up to create as many projects as you can from that one sheet of paper.

In other words, using CHF stamps, make your own patterned paper.

First, let me say, I love the CHF stamps and have been having so much fun playing (in the wee moments I can)!! This last challenge has been keeping busy... I actually made another OSW, after I did my first one, from a different set, and will play with that at a later date. This is fondly known in my household as 'one of mommy's sidetracked adventures'. I tend to wonder off from what I am supposed to be doing - and work on another project!

Case in point: I really should be getting ready for the two meat orders that I am filling this morning, as well as my day job work, but since I finished coloring my sheet, at 5 am, I then scanned, then merged, and thought, might as well post this baby!!!

And I am still in my jammies...

Let's get back on track, shall we?????



Stage I: One Sheet Wonder - Uncolored
CHF Kim Hughes Collection - Let's Get Stuffed
Stazon Inks (In fall colors!)

So, after I stamped this, I thought 'oh this is fun fun fun'!!!!
I loved the result, scanned it, and thought that I was done...

But, then I thought...
Hmm... Should I color it????

And, then this happened (over the course of 3 days - snippets of moments, you know!)



Stage II: One Sheet Wonder - Colored
I colored the images with Copics and Stampin' Up Markers
Just put the finishing touches on early this am!

Confession:
I really like my resulting paper and do not want to cut it!!!
******************



So, the next step(s) are to cut this baby up, and make cards or layouts, or altered goodies...

I will show those to you in my next post!

Have a great day!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Our Fabulous Night Out & Country Charm (CHF Make a Scene)

Scene's From Our Night Out Last Night

Sexton's Grass Fed Beef Tenderloin
Jake ordered this fabulous dish last night at our Big Night Out!
Everything on this plate is from the La Grande Farmers' Market.
I had the Lamb Kielbasa, Dick had the Lamb Shank
and Sami had the Pasture Poultry Chicken.
Yes. All from Sexton Ranches!
Yeah for Foley Station!
Our total bill was $155 for four.
Normally, we would not be able to afford this.
Normally, we would tell the kids to eat something less expensive.
And, normally, we just would have stayed home due to being tired (me),
sore (Dick's Bad Back), or sick (Jake suffered a horrid bought of stomach flu).
But, we could not pass up this splendid table.

Last Night was Special.
It was time to support one of our regular customers,
and support the La Grande Farmers Market.
Everyone Wins!!!


The Appetizer
Sexton Ranches Lamb Linquisa Sausage with Feta Cheese
and tomatoes, stuffed into a Portabello Mushroom!
We all loved this one!
We also shared two wonderful salads, one number with cherries,
and another with lots of tasty tomatoes, a tomotillo vinaigrette and kalamatta olives.
The second salad was inhailed by our children!

Dick and I also had an Oregon Merlot
The kids had tasty concoctions
(Sami accidently shared her drink with Jake,
and she got to have the same horrid stomach illness earlier today).

This was the BEST dinner we have ever had out.
Period.
Jake kept saying he wanted to hug someone!!
I have never seen such dining bliss on that boy.
I need some cooking lessons from Merlyn!!!

We kept thinking it would have been so cool
if Aunt Alice and Uncle John could have been with us.
THIS would have knocked their socks off!!!

***************

So, after last night's dining experience, it was a slow slow morning.

The Kids Biking
I decided to walk.

A Little Peace and Quiet
Ahhh...
After such a whirlwind of a week,
it sure was nice to just hang back!

My Entry for the CHF Summer Challenge Week #4 - Make A Scene
I used the Rummage Bin 'Primitive Beginnings' Set.
Today is my play day.
Between the kids interrupting me, and my husband wanting to know
where lunch was, I managed to get 'something' done!

I'll spare you the other attempts I made.
They all involved masking on one sheet of paper.
The first was my 'draft'.
Then, after cutting out all my masks and stamping the various layers,
I 'had it' going so well until I repositioned one dang stamp!
And ruined my scene!
Arrrggg.

And that's just the way it is!
****************

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Summer Living!

Casa de Espinoza!
This vehicle was parked here for 2 nights!
Oh we love it when our favorite people come to visit!!!

Hello Aunt Alice!
You're lookin' Gooood!!!


Jake Giving Uncle John Wheel Line Instructions

Jake is in charge of this wheel line. He goes out twice a day.
Shuts it down, lets drain, turns on the motor, moves it so many feet,
then turns it on and poof!
Sprinker Irrigation.
Uncle John was impressed with Our Boy!

The Checker Tournament
Gotta Love a John Deere Checker Set!!

The First Heat of Checkers
Jake won.
See that stack of yellow checkers just to to the left of his neck?
He smoked!
Or, did Uncle John give him the game?
You never know with that kind hearted soul.

Back Yard Summer Fun!
I love the steers in the background, and my yard actually looks decent
when shots are taken 'from a distance'!!!
Little do you know the grass is tall, I haven't weed eated at all this summer, etc. etc.



My favorite Auntie and Uncle came to visit us during their Grand Tour of Oregon!

I love these people... They are kind, loving, caring, and just the most compassionate human beings on the planet.

We all fell in love with them all over again!

We miss them already.

Sniff.

**********************

Ranch Life:

My husband hurt his back last week or so, and the kids have been his left hand and right hand. He points at things, and they do the work. They have NOT been happy campers! This went on for over a week! Finally, he is feeling better and all of us are too!

One of Sami's Gold Fish died last Friday. She and her Dad and brother were quick to replace her (Angel was her name) with about 4 guppies... Goodness...

Saturday: Sami and I did the Boise Farmers Market. Hotter than heck! 104 degrees during the drive home! Sizzlin'.

Sunday: Housework all morning, then to the pool. To many people at 'our pool'. Sami basically sat out and watched the whole scene. She's a shy one.

Monday: Last minute housework (2 hours) before putting in a whole day at work. Our Guests arrived! Dinner: Lamb Sausage.

Tuesday: Up at 3:30 for an earlier than usual Chicken Run. Dick and I loaded chickens in the dark. Picked up the processed lambs, met a customer, back to chicken place, loaded last weeks chickens, back home by noon! Hello!!!!! Napster. Dinner: Lamb Chops!

Wednesday: Work day, followed by a huge order and delivery to one of our restaurant clients in La Grande. Hectic day - again! We will be having dinner at this restaurant on Saturday Night!!! When I got home about 3:30 pm from work (before loading up and heading to La Grande), there was a note on the laundry room door to be quite when entering!!!

Our kitty had her kittens!!!

Too darn adorable.

Sami was the Doctor.

I heard the whole story.

And, I'm car shopping! Well, I did a quick glance. Hope to have time this Sunday.

The question is: Ford Explorer or Expedition? I love my Explorer! It now has 248,000 miles.

See ya!

Friday, July 17, 2009

CHF Week #3 - Resist - Which Would You Pick?

Door #1 - The Tree
This card really made me mad! That tree stamp would not ink up completely.
See the Blue gaps in the trunk?
So I rejected it.
After several attempts at getting the perfect tree.
I was so sure I could do it!
HA.
This baby cost me way too much time at the crop till you drop.
Ink. Stamp. Clear Emboss. Ink.
Say What???
Repeat.
Many, many, many times...
It was that intense!
I'm tempted to burn this card to seek my revenge...


Door #2 - Aged Sheet Music with Crochet
(This is missing the Sentiment that I stole for the card below!)
This one was better. But seemed so plain!
Too much brown.
I'm saving it for a resurrection at a later date.

Door #3 - Especially For You
Now this card, I liked!
But after I took my photos, I noticed it looked a bit odd.
My scallops are funky!
And, it just did not look balanced.
Back to the fix-it shop..

Door #4 - Especially For You - Revamped!
OK..
I did some fixin'
But, as you can see,
I have some funky scallops at the bottom
(they look like teeth!)
But I am so done with this!
I've got to move on!!!
I have things to do!
I have relatives coming to visit!
I have to get up at 3am tomorrow!


********************


See how I work? Scary, isn't it? I don't know if it's like this for other stampers and scrapbookers, (in terms of all the trials and errors) but I thought I would share with you 'what happens in my creative world' when I try to make something for a specific challenge.

Do you think it's because I am left handed? I mean, I operate differently, right? As in left.
Different part of the brain.



Well, I have to say... Resist Stamping and I have spent this past week in a battle. Oh yeah... My head hurts from all the 'stuff' I attempted in my 'free time'.

I'm thinking of those precious naps I passed up :)

Or the lawn mowing

Or house cleaning

Or... who knows? Exercise?

So, now that it's all said and done and posted...

Which card would you have picked???


I'm curious!

Monday, July 13, 2009

The NEW Hero Arts!

As most of you know, one of my top 5 places to play, get inspiration, chat with other obsessed stampers and scrappers and enter challenges is at the Hero Arts Blog... (my other faves are Cornish Heritage Farms, 2Peas, The Moxie Fab Blog, and Caardvarks! - and in no particular order!!!)

But, have you visited the The Hero Arts Blog lately?

This week is the kickoff to something huge over there! The folks at Hero Arts have a new website, new shopping options, a new video format, and they are unveiling something super duper huge this Wednesday!

AND, to top it all of, they are Doubling This Week's Challenge Prizes!!!!

This week’s challenge is to create something NEW that is inspired by anything on heroarts.com (the HA main website, not their blog). It can be a card, scrapbook page, technique article, or more from heroarts.com.
Post your NEW project on the Hero Arts Flickr Group.

So why are you still here?

Saturday, July 11, 2009

CHF Week #2 Challenge - Paper Piecing!

Here is my entry for the Week #2 Challenge over at Cornish Heritage Farms for the Summer Stamp Star Design Challenge.

Now this card was something I just loved loved loved to do! Paper and scissors and fun stamps and yummy papers. FUN! :)

I used some of my favorite papers by Webster Pages that have been hiding out (aka, hidden from my mini me crafting princess) so that I could play with them! (Note: Sami has been known to get into some favorite papers I left 'out' and used them to her little hearts desire... as in chop chop chop! which is fine.. really, it's fine.. I mean, they should be used! By someone!

**********************

Work News:
OK! So, get this. For my new fun job, I have to go to a crop till you drop tonight! Meaning, gosh, I have to pack my goodies (done!) and take them to town, and help other peeps shop and play, and not cook, but eat free tasty snacks (chocolate, anyone?) and stamp and scrapbook until midnight.. And, I get to bring the mini me, who gets to play, too. I mean, work. Yeah. That's it. Work. And, I get paid to do this!!!!!! Ha ha ha! I am feeling like one lucky girl!!

Of course, that is following the 'schedule' of one market last night, and another today..

Staying up until Midnight will be the test!



Card Recipe:
CHF Stamps Used:
KH Making the Grade (sentiment)
KH Spring Trees (three trees)
KH Little Gal (Butterfly)

Other Supplies:
Patterned Paper: Webster Pages - Your Life Beautiful (oh I have been hoarding this!!!!)
Buttons: Autumn Leaves
Ribbon & Linen Thread: Stampin' Up
Card Stock: Bazzil
Inks: Jet Black Stazon; Broken China & Vintage Photo Distress Inks

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Their Back!!!! The Simple Girls!

OH my!

Can I just say, I stumbled upon some ever so wonderful news today??????

My blog friend Lauren of 2HDesign posted a link to Write.Click.Scrapbook.

I am one of the 'last' subscribers to Simple Scrapbooks, and was saddened by the stopped pub...

But, as a Blog Lover... can I say...

Today is a GREAT Day!

They are BACK!

Go check it out! The Blog! The Girls! Yippeeeeeee!!!!!!

Thanks Lauren!

Monday, July 6, 2009

Week 1 - CHF Coloring 'Results'

Welcome Spring
Supplies:
Spring Trees stamp set - Cornish Heritage Farms
Copics, Stazon
Karen Foster 3D elements (sun and flowers removed!)
Bazzil cardstock
Patterned Paper by FancyPants Designs

Otay.

I did a card for the first week challenge going on at CHF. (See that star over on the left? Click it for more info regarding the 5 weeks worth of challenges!)...

Can't say I am 'thrilled' with the results! I am not good at coloring! I even practiced on several different trees!

But, I tried!!!

********************************

Yesterday, I made a super long post about the past week.. and how I survived! But, since I am running out of time here, I will have to share the photos and deets later... Gater..

The highlights are...
  • I survived!
  • I am now on a multivitamin
  • I colored during my free time (card above)
  • I did two markets during 'all this' (Baker, Boise)
  • My family 'ditched me' on Saturday.. I went to Boise, they went to the rodeo in Haines
  • My family got 'dumped on' during a Thunderstorm while at the rodeo, while I was driving home (just sayin' - a little Karma?)
  • Another storm came through last night
  • Looks like another storm today! (I love storms!)
  • I fell asleep during the backyard firepit and fireworks 4th of July party! Maybe because I woke at 3am and had already a full day????
  • I walked 2 days! (yippee!) No sillies.. Not 2 days straight! I 'went for a short walk' - 2 different days.
  • And, I took the kids to 'our pool' yesterday and had 2 hours of bliss in the sun - with one of my scrappy mags.. Love me some sun and water when its hot hot hot!!!!!
That's a wrap!

Catch you all later!

This week I am working on paper piecing!!! (Week 2 CHF challenge)

In my free time!
xo

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