Bleached Snow

Spring...right around the corner. Right? The promise of a jumble of color, buds bursting, birds singing, walking to work, and one of my favorites - the sound of children playing outdoors.

That's not to say the 'snow days' sprinkled throughout winter don't provide a cacophony of muted gleeful sounds through tightly closed windows. This is a product of last week's snow day. Snow and snow paint, energy and some ingenuity! The sun is taking it's toll on it but as I said...spring is a'comin'!

I revisited the bleach technique for this card. I should use it more often because I really like the effect and enjoy doing it.

 

 



Winter Thaw

~Base white cardstock

~Red dot design paper

~Dark green cardstock

~Stamp - Sunny Harvest by Marcella Hawley's Power Poppy

~Stamped with Versamark and white embossing powder on red cardstock - I bleached the daisies then colored with white, greens, and yellows

~Moonlight Smooch dots on flower wrap

~Faux stitches

 Inspiration | Challenges

Just Us Girls - photo inspiration

Sketch Saturday - sketch

 

Thanks for clicking by.

 

Here's to daffodils, buds on trees, grass kneed children and bleach!

 

Nancy in Iowa

 

 

 

 

Just Cards

Melancholy day today. A prayerful theme seemed appropriate. I ended up with two of them because I hate to toss the negatives and just use the positives from die cuts. (And I don't like to toss the positive and just use the negative...sounds reasonable...right?) Not sure if that is me being frugal or me being lazy...

 

 

 

Just Prayers
~Both design papers from Paper Studio The Pink Navy
~Hero Arts Prayers Stamp & Cuts
~Stampin' Up Labels Collection die
~Stampin' Up Word Window punch
Challenges | Inspirations
Just Us Girls - color week - navy, pink, grey
Aud Sentiments - anything + sentiment

Thanks for clicking by.

Here's to positives, negatives, and prayers.

Nancy in Iowa

Blue or Green Bunnies

Ice storm seems to be on the way. Or so the weather-people have predicted. I love snow. I think it should snow all winter long. Ice? I can live without that! Nothing worse than an ice storm! Trees split and fall, cars crash, people slide...

Okay - maybe a tornado is worse. And a tsunami. I'm sure a tsunami is worse. And an earthquake - that can't be good. Alright... I guess I won't whine about the impending ice storm. I will just hunker down. Work from home. Have all devices supercharged and keep the quilts handy in case the electricity goes out (oh the perils of an all-electric-home). And hope that the weather people are wrong.

Hunkering down would be more awesome if I could spend the day in my Bubble - but I brought lots of work and the laptop home with me so I can work from home tomorrow. (Insert cranky face.)

Yes I do love winter. I love the Midwest change of seasons. I love snow. I just got back from a recruiting event in Brookings, SD. They have LOTS of snow right now! Did you know that SDSU (South Dakota State University) has and internationally recognized Agriculture and Ag Biology College? Well...one of MY favorite researching that those delightful students spend their time doing is ICE CREAM R&D! Ice Cream AND Cheese! Well...I can't visit that campus without a trip to the Dairy Bar for an ice cream cone - no matter what the temperature and weather conditions.

I am normally a VERY loyal Wells' Blue Bunny Ice Cream fan (made in the Ice Cream Capital of the World - LeMars, IA). But put me in the SDSU campus Dairy Bar...and I can't even remember that silly bunny's color... Green? Pink? Purple? I'm not even sure it's a bunny....Call me fickle but in reality I am just test tasting future Wells' Blue Bunny flavors as MOST of the R&D staff are SDSU graduates!

You must be from the Midwest if it is NEVER too cold (the temp at the time of this
purchase was 8 degrees Fahrenheit). So your mittens get a little sticky. They wash! This was so creamy and delicious I feel like driving back up north right now for a second scoop!

Enough about the cold and food! I did get a card made. I wanted to join in the Just Us Girls challenge. It really was a challenge. I love the look of OTHER crafters all over work I just don't have what it takes to make it work. I'm not sure I pulled it off here but I gave it a go! Nothing better than a challenge that actually challenges! Right?

Stampin' Joe
~Vanilla cardstock (PaperTray Ink)
~Variety of stamps using Versafine Onyx Black
~Ribbon
~Spellbinder die Hipster 1
Challenges | Inspirations
Just Us Girls - Trend Week

Here's to ice cream treats, not icy streets, washed mittens, looking forward to my next trip to SDSU (even if that goofy state refuses to use salt on snow/ice covered roads), and challenging challenges.

Nancy in Iowa

Shiny Squirrels and Dotted Eyes

Blogger! You let me down! I had a post all ready to go! It was a great post! I hit "save"! You didn't save it! You wouldn't post - you didn't save...What were you doing for the last 24 hours!

It had to do with Bubble angst....should I "clean" or make cards? Not so much clean but put away the business of Christmas. I hauled all the Christmas goodies down to the family room table. And there it sits glaring at me.

I can sit here in my Bubble - at my craft table- and with a simple glance to the right and I can see the stack Christmas pretties that are begging to be put in their off season storage. I'm not procrastinating. I'm managing my valuable time. If I wait one more week...I can put away the Christmas decorations as I get out the Valentine decorations out. Now THAT is  just plain brilliant multi tasking time management! (Okay...you are right - it is just straight up procrastination!)

But my card space and my card making Christmas presents are calling to me. So my solution? Just don't glance over to the right! Not even once.

It must be a day for distractions. One look to my left and I spied my sewing machine. I decided I needed to sew! So....I embellished a few kitchen towels to have on hand for gifts. I'm embarrassed to say I actually had to dust off my sewing machine before I got started! Poor neglected Pfaff!

I did get a few cards made. Today only the Bubble won out! No Christmas business was completed today. Oh well....cards and laundry - sounds productive enough for me!

Ever find a goof-up only after you upload a photo of it? I just realized I owe the card below a dot for its "i". I didn't notice the 'cherish' sentiment is missing the dot over the 'i' until I uploaded it. I better get out my smallest single hole punch and glue!

Cherished Thanks
~Black cardstock
~"Thanks" Lawn Fawn die
~"Cherish" Tim Holtz die
~Wildflowers stamps - Tim Holtz (Christmas present!)
~Versamark and Ranger embossing powder
~Flower die cuts - Tim Holtz
Challenge | Inspirations
Just Us Girls - Word Week - 'New'
Color Throwdown - black, green, pink

Here's to my mad time management skills, my attention to shiny squirrels, and my lack of attention to dotting my "eyes"!

Thank you for clicking by.

Nancy in Iowa

Just for the Joy of It!

I really like shopping at Target. I mean I REALLY like shopping at Target (or as my friend Lisa calls it "the hundred dollar store" - no matter what you go in for....you can't leave without spending a minimum of a hundred dollars.) I ESPECIALLY like the dollar aisle!

I found these kind of odd wood-look chipboard snowflakes. There were 6 of these oddities in the package so I decided to make six cards with simplicity, texture, and "joy" in mind. I hesitated in buying them as I wasn't sure what I would do with them. I think it was ONE WHOLE DOLLAR well spent!

Side view of the chipboard snowflake.

Joyful Joy
~Chipboard snowflakes
~Joy die cut
~Various embossing folders
Challenges | Inspirations
Shopping Our Stash - Winter Wonderland
My Time to Craft - Something new (chipboard snowflakes)
Cute Card Thursday - anything goes
Southern Girls - anything goes

Here's to Dollar Aisles everywhere, favorite department stores, bustin' out a dollar, and keepin' it simple!

Nancy in Iowa