Sweet & Loved, Two Challenges in One!

I couldn’t help myself. I had to use pink on my card. Pink seems to be my new favorite color. Of course, this time it worked out really well. I wanted to do a challenge, and it called for anything with checkered paper. Guess what? Just happened to have some pink checkered paper lying around. Can you believe it? Well, I also had thought about another challenge I thought I would try. I mixed them together. Never thought I could pull it off, but here it is. Just see what you think. The two challenges come from CPS (Card Positioning Systems) and it is the layout sketch, and the checkered paper challenge is A Spoon Full of Sugar. You should really check out both sites.

Believe it or not, I actually took the time to write down the items used on this card. Sometimes I have no idea what I’ve used, but since most of the things used today are new, I had it right in front of me as I opened the packages. Thank you so much for stopping by and do stop by again soon! Hope you have a nice Monday.

Toota-loo,
Karen


Recipe
Stamps: Stamping Bella - Emmybella; SU So very
Paper: Bo Bunny checkered pink gingham; KI Memories lace cardstock; Doodlebug Design pink, cupcake, sugar coated cardstock.
Extras: Watercolor pencils; markers; aqua pen; dazzling diamonds glitter; Fiskar corner punch, SU oval punches

Love The Summer!

I’m so happy! Don't you just love summertime. It is the greatest time of year. Isn’t it just wonderful to be able to put on shorts and a T or a swim suit and head out in the yard? I just love that stuff.

I planted a garden this year. It is a food garden. I have always had a flower garden, or at least what I referred to as a flower garden, but this year I also planted a food garden. Because there has been rain all around me but not here, I had to water my garden. It looks like the corn grew overnight! The peppers and melons and strawberries all look really good. I didn’t put out much more. I want to see if I do any good this year. I’m just so excited. It has been so much fun, and so relaxing. I have really enjoyed it so far.

Well, today’s card is for the YAOB Challenge on Katharina’s blog. I chose sketch #10. I love the layout. I love the stamp I used. It is Flowers of the Sugar Nellie’s. There are so many wonderful submissions on her site. Check them out on her blog. Thank you so much for stopping by and do come by often. I hope that you have a wonderful day!


Toota-loo,
Karen Linnea

WSC #53 - A Manic Monday!

There is something that I find very fascinating. For a little over 20 years, I was a medical transcriptionist. I worked in hospitals most of my life, and actually had found a job that I could perform and make pretty good pay. I always told others that the only way I passed English in school was because we had weekly spelling tests and I can spell really good. Of course, my grammar is another story, but transcriptionist have to know grammar a little bit as well. That came with time. If a physician threw a huge word at me, I could type it. I would just sound it out and type is down, and it was right. Heck, I even surprised myself! It helped that I could type really fast as well. I could have a report typed up in no time at all. It was the best kind of job for someone like me. When I was in school, I didn’t even know a job like this existed. I wanted a good job really bad. I would go by the local hospital at least three times a week to see if there were any openings. Finally, I got an interview. She said she would let me know if she could train me in this position. Sure enough, she called the following week. From there it was history. I found out that you could go many places and be a transcriptionist. I have had several jobs over the years. Most of them paid really well. Before I stopped working completely, I worked the last 6 years at home. In 2001, I had started home-schooling our kids, but I was also really sick at the time. My husband got hired for a position at a local steel mill, with really good insurance, and told me I needed to quit working. So, I did!

Now, the reason I have told you this story, is for this. Remember, I said I home-school my children. Somewhere between passing English because of spelling, and typing medical terms for 20 years, and home-schooling my children, I forgot how to spell. I feel really silly sitting at my desk trying to think of the right way to spell a word, that I have used my whole life, and all the sudden the word doesn’t look right on the paper. (Thank goodness for spell check. In some cases, spell check cannot even help me!) Where did something go wrong in my head? My poor son will ask me about a word, and my brain shuts down and I’m like, "Don’t ask me! Look it up." Besides, you don’t ask your teacher how to spell a word. (In this case, she may tell you wrong.) Maybe it is a disease. My Mom says that my Dad has it. Of course, my Mom is pretty sharp and she plays cross word puzzles all the time. I bought one of those books the other day, but have only worked one. If it is a disease I have contracted it. I don’t like having it, but it seems that I am going to have to suffer the rest of my life with it. It pretty much seems incurable at this point.

This little card I made for Beate’s WSC #53. I realize that owls have become a new stamping hot lick. I, however, was having a problem finding an owl I really liked, for my tastes, of course. Anyway, I found this little guy at Stamping Bella, and thought he was adorable. I really liked the lay out for Beate’s challenge this week. I just new that I had to use him on the card. I used colored pencils on him. The paper is SU, except for the little scalloped piece. That is from a mat stack of some kind. The sentiment is heat embossed and from Fun & Fast Notes. Thanks for stopping by and come again. Hope you have a wonderful day!

Toota-loo,
Karen Linnea

Happy Birthday Wishes - SC #180

Today is my baby’s birthday. He is 15. It is so hard to believe. His name is Mitch, and he is a really cute guy! In six months he will be able to get his driving permit. That is unbelievable! The time just flies. For birthdays around here, you get your choice of what you want to eat, what dessert you want, and $125.00. My son chose Pizza Hut pizza, Pizza Hut dessert pizza and the $125.00. Me and his Daddy learned a long time ago that we come out better by giving this gift, rather than a party. Parties are expensive. Sometimes parties can be disappointing as well. This way, the kids seem to be happier. I know I like parties, but I wouldn’t mind that $125.00 spending money.

I couldn’t wait to post my card today. I really love this stamp. It is Patty Birthdaycake from Stamping Bella. (The card was not made for my son, by the way! It was made using the SCS SC sketch from last Wednesday. Thought I better make that clear.) I have bought several of those little fairies from Stamping Bella, and I just love them. Last Wednesday’s SC180 is where I got the lay out for this card. I am just a little slower than I anticipated. (It is called life . . . It sometimes gets in the way of fun!) Anyway, this color mixture is from a card I did at an SU card party sometime back. The colors seem very good together, or at least I think they do. I hope you enjoy the card. Thanks for stopping by, and stop back often! Have a nice day!

Toota-loo,
Karen Linnea


Recipe:
Stamps: Patricia Birthdaycake - Stamping Bella, SU Fun & Fast Notes - sentiment, SU Homespun plaid - background
Paper: SU Certainly celery, SU Tempting Turguoise & Coral color that I’m not sure of brand
Extras: Piercing tool, brads, dazzling diamonds, white gel pen, colored pencils, embossing powder.

Father's Day!

It was a nice Father’s Day!
At my friend’s house (Vickie Waugh) we made cards last week, and I used the one for Father’s Day for my father. I needed a card for my father-in-law, and so I cased it but only in a different color. My father’s favorite color is green, so I changed up the paper on the bottom of the orange and green card, so the DP on the bottom was green. I wanted the cards to be similar so that I didn’t feel like I made one better than the other. Does that make sense? Do you understand where I’m coming from. Seems they both had a good Father’s Day, even though my Dad had to share his day with my niece’s birthday party. She will turn 5 on the 18th. She is a real hoot! My dad babysits her. My dad will be 71 in August. Needless to say, she is spoiled.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoy the cards. Stop back by often, and have a great day!
Toota-loo,
Karen Linnea

It's A "Grad" Ole Day!

It's a "GRAD" Ole Day!

Hi!

Today, my daughter, Victoria, age 18, graduates. She has been homeschooled, and got her GED in October. The program that she attended to take her GED has a graduation for all the people who have gotten their diplomas throughout the year. That is very nice. So, this evening we are attending that ceremony. I cannot believe that it is actually happening. It is hard to believe that she is 18. I still want to treat her like a child. She has grown up into a beautiful person.

I just had my son, Mitch, 14, to the doctor for an ear infection. He has had problems with his ears all his life. Every summer he ends up with an ear infection from swimming. That seems to be the case this time as well. So, the doctor put him on an antibiotic and a drop. Hopefully, he will be in good enough shape to attend Victoria’s graduation ceremony, without too much pain.

Okay, about today’s card. Hard for me to recipe this one. I made is sometime back, and wanted to post it sooner. I have not really had much time to do any cardmaking, and I hate that. It may help my stress if I could be able to make it to my craft room. Anyway, there are two different sets of SU stamps used in this card. I cannot remember the names. I am so bad that way. There is also a mixture of items used on the card, but I think you get the general idea of how it lays out. I hope you like it.

Well, thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day! Please return to check out my cards and read in on my updates. Have a good one!

Toota-loo,
Karen Linnea

Glamorous Friday - TGIF!

Glamorous Friday - TGIF!

This evening I get together with my girlfriends. We are going to make cards. I love being with them. They are all such Hoots! We had a ball last week. We laughed so hard, that it made me happy all week. Don’t you just love laughing like that. It is just good for the soul.

My friend, Tessie, let me stamp her Glam Girl stamps. I cannot stand things that don’t have eyes, so I gave my Glam Girl eyes and shades. She turned out cool! So, here she is and I hope you love her! She looks Fabulous to me, or Glamorous to me! When I look at her, I always think of that song “I Will Survive!” You know, late ‘70's, early ‘80. Well, thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoy your weekend! I sure know most of you are saying TGIF! TTFN!

Toota-loo,
Karen Linnea

Recipe: Bazzill Bling Orange and DCWV Glitter Paper as well as Lasting Impressions
Stamp: Glam Girl from CC Designs & sentiment from TAC
Embellishments: Ribbon, brads, buttons.

Sugar Nellie Kitty!

Today’s card is a little larger than I usually do cards. It is 6.5 x 6.5 inches. There is white cardstock covered with a polka dotted, pink, piece of Lasting Impressions paper. I used SU paper on the layering under the image. The image is one of my new stamps from Sugar Nellie - Kitty. It just impresses me that I got these from Scotland. Guess I am easy to impression. Oh well! I pop dotted the kitty & the little girl’s hat. Along with the Sugar Nellie, I used the Polka Dots & Paisley stamp set sentiment from SU. The blue flowers are those die cut blooms from SU. The half scallop is a Your’s Truly from Achiver’s. I placed tiny, star shaped rhinestones all the way around the scalloped edges. The card took me a while to make. I’m so slow! I wanted to do this image up well, because I like it so much.

The pictures turned out different and I wanted you to be able to see where I pop dotted the kitty & her hat. It is hard to see in either picture, and one of the pictures shows a glare. I just couldn’t get a better view for some reason. The pictures kept turning out basically the same every time I took them. Thank you for stopping by, and hope you continue to stop by often. Have a nice evening!

Toota-loo,
Karen Linnea

A Hostess Club Stamping Frenzy!

Okay, I have a story. Not a long one, like most of mine, but a story. Friday night, me and my girlfriends got together at Vickie’s house. It was the hostess club she has going, and all of us involved are pretty close friends. Anyway, Tessie and I received our order from Stamping Bella, and had all our cute little stamps out showing the other girls. We decided to share, and so we pulled out the Stazon Black and passed the stamps around the table, stamping up Bellas and Fairies so everyone could try them. I sat today coloring some of mine. Also, Tessie had gotten some of the Glam Girls from CC Designs, and I stamped a few of those. I was thinking of buying them, and getting a chance to play with them helped me decide. After coloring them today, I believe I will. They are so cute.

Today, I received an order of Sugar Nellie’s. I ordered 5 of the Sweet Art Ebonies. They are so adorable. I stamped and colored one of those tonight, too. I love this one. It is a little girl feeding a kitty. I cannot wait to make a card. I was in a coloring mood today, so that was about as far as I got . . . coloring!

A couple of years back I decided to make recipe books for all my sisters and sister-in-laws for their birthdays. I didn’t do scrapbooking, because I had never even seen scrapbooking. I would buy these little books for $1.00 at Dollar General, take them apart and run the paper through the computer to print out the recipe. After putting the book back together, I would decorate the pages. Then, one of my friends told me that was similar to scrapbooking. Then, after I met up with all these ladies that really know about scrapbooking, I changed my books a little. I am now working on a new one. The post for today will be a page for my new recipe book. I love to dry emboss and don’t do it too often, but I did a little for this page. Hope you like it. Thank you for stopping by. Please come back by often.

Toota-loo,
Karen Linnea

Recipe: Cow, sheep & fence are from a plastic stencil from Wal-Mart
Paper: CTMH kit (not sure of name) All pinks and browns
Embellishments: Black brads for eyes, antique looking brads on recipe corners.

Weekend Challenge Sketch #50

WSC #50

This is my card for the Weekend Sketch Challenge from Beate's Fresh & Fun Blog Challenge. I just received Matilda in the mail on Thursday, and because of all the busyness of life, didn’t get to play with her until last night. Isn’t she just a beautiful little fairy! She came from Stamping Bella. I cannot wait to do a few of the others I bought.

This card was placed on Bazzill Bling Pink paper. I used designer paper from K&Co & placed little jewels at each ticket punched corner. I layered my image on a piece of SU cardstock and white cardstock. Also, I used grosgrain green ribbon and colored pencils to color Matilda. I hope you enjoy the card I have posted today. Thanks for stopping by, and please come back by soon. Have a wonderful Monday!

Toota-loo,
Karen Linnea