Phoenix, Arizona wildflowers

These are practically in my backyard. I just discovered them and have taken lots of photos. This is the way I hope to be surrounded in Heaven. I want to leave this world and the moment I open my eyes again, this is what I pray it looks like. Then, I want Jesus to appear before me and from there, it's all about Him.
Happy Sunday to everyone. I'm really going to get some shut-eye now.
Erica

Cute Gable Boxes

WHOW!! I've never done this before.....posted 2x in one day. I've been on such a creative roll. I tell ya' my mojo has been workin'. These are 2 of the 13 gable boxes...the template can be found in the SU Demo library, which I won't have access to much longer. This gable box is quite popular and I thought it'd be cute decorated and filled with Easter candy. The ones on the right are closed with clips I got super cheap from Office Max. So when my dd gives these to her co-workers, they'll get something to eat and something to help them with their organizing. Some I'm covering with ds paper and others I'm using the direct to paper method. My Nesties are getting a work-out. The stamps are mostly Michael's dollar stamps. My MS punches are workin' hard too. I think these boxes are stinkin' cute.

I promise not to post until tomorrow, when I have another thank you card that I think is lovely and uses Paper Temptress black velvet paper, mmm. smooth and rich.

Erica

I've Commissioned Myself

My lovely dd has been blessed by some awesome church friends in a time of some difficulty in her life. I helped her construct a thank you email to them. However, since her mom taught her well :), she wants to send them personal thank yous. So yours truly has decided that since she's such a creative woman....hee hee, she will help. I am going to make 7 cards for her to send by Wednesday. I will mail them out on Monday. Here are my first two. The "So Kind," a stamp from SU and another non SU stamp and an MS punch is my design on the left. The second is a little of this and a little of that from the many blogs I read. I will post the rest of them as time allows.
I received a shipment of paper from Paper Temptress. I wanted to see if their paper compared to SU. My last day as an SU demo is 3/31. I will go into pending at that point. I've blogged about this before. The jist is that there are so many wonderful stamp companies to try and I can't afford them as well as SU. I will buy from my upline who has mentioned that she made more from me as a customer than as a demo, as I was only hobby anyhow. I'll give my personal review of the 6 types of paper I've received in a later post.
I will also post some gable boxes I'm making for my other dh's co-workers for Easter. They are turning out so cute. I have downloaded all the SU templates I like so that I can keep my mojo working. I'm a bit sad that I never got around to ordering any of the SU Bigshot dies, but I will borrow from my upline. She's the best. One thing I'm happy about is that they are returning to one catty per year. One thing I'm sad about is that SU has had to let go of some of its employees. Sheri talked about this in her blog and she is genuinely saddened. I feel bad for her. This "Great Recession," as I've heard it referred to is kickin butt.
On another matter, my fave tool, The illustrious Cuttlebug, is coming out with 11 new dies in July after the CHA and I got a sneak peak from a blog. They look fantabulous. Can't wait. And my second fave tool accessory which I use in my CB is the Nestibilities. With a few more $$ to spend now, I'll continue to increase my stash. And of course, there are about 50 other stamp companies who will get my money.
So for now, you all have a great rest of the weekend. See ya'
Erica

I made an SU "Flower", thanks to...

Good afternoon everyone. I have so much I should BE doing. But my craft room called me and this great tute beckoned me to try it right now. The cleaners, Walmart, and maybe Michael's can wait....besides, it's been a while hasn't it?
So I'm making 13 of these, and I don't like it when everything is made exactly the same. So this is my 3rd one. I really like that accordian flower and it with a little of fiddlin' and lots of some kinda' sticky stuff, see the blog post

http://flutterbyatomicbutterfly.blogspot.com/2009/03/accordian-flower-tutorial-q-and-and.html, , Kelly has made it super easy.

OK, so I made with a heavier cs than I shoulda', but I like how it came out.

On to make more of these gable boxes. They can be found in SU's box templates section. They hold just enuf candy for an adult Easter, if ya' know what I mean.

Have a great rest of the weekend.

I Took the Challenge Today

Well, I took the challenge today. Actually, it's my first one from Scrapnextras It's their Stash Challenge here http://www.scrapnextras.com/scrapnextras/2009/03/stash-challenge-tuesday-stickers.html#comments. I used stickers that I was hoarding for some time. The name on the package is "Gifted Stickers." I love teacups, teapots, teabags and loose tea, and oh, iced tea. If I drank more tea than I ate candy, I wouldn't look like I do, But, alas, I love milk chocolate, fudge, buttermints, and Necco Canada wafers and Werthers originals more. Gosh, I sure love candy, huh? I sort of cased it from this card here http://www.scrapnextras.com/scrapnextras/2009/03/stash-challenge-tuesday-stickers.html#comments

The base is a kraft c.s. (not SU) and the pink mat is CB'd as is the blue mat and then I used a Memories shadow ink for the rose from Hero Arts and then overstamped with a Hero Arts sentiment that's been around 4ever and is so versatile. There is one little secret going on in this card. I give my 20 mos. granddaughter "sticker address labels" that I seem to get by the hundreds, to play with. There are usually some kind of flower stickers on the sheets. She peeled 2 of the flowers from the "base" of a trio of stickers and I noticed that the remaining piece resembled Nestibilitie scalloped squares. I pounced on it before she could rip it apart, and put it to good use here. Then I placed these pretty teacups & saucer stickers inside of the squares. The embellies are Kaiser blue pearls...hope their true color is showing up. I really like the way this turned out, hope you do.

P.S. After posting, I realized that all the pearls aren't visible. There are 3 of them directly underneath the sentiment. I'll have to be more careful with displaying the card prior to snapping.

Have a great Wednesday.

Erica

March Already???

I can't believe we're in the 3rd month of the year. I haven't accomplished much..even completely forgot my big brothers' birthday, for which I didn't make him a card. Should I forget it and just call him, or still make & send the card?? That dang question will freak me out for the next couple of days.

Well, moving right along, for some reason, I felt like making an Easter card. I haven't made any St. Patty's cards, even though I do have an idea or two swimming around in my head. Well, actually, I came across the Mojo Monday sketch...a week late. It is here https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30O4yXfsufE12nU4ZO0oJZWMmJEWCB5POZiMa5c6LZJd9lbCPENjTf32T5bfQLHO52wly3HarAa-4P0fcaFPoVWGOHCv7glrN43MFdn3eQKIlz5T8AbtpBUiw0ZUNgv3WVZrIxHEeBLSq/s1600-h/Mojo75Sketch.gif and then I got started looking at some of the samples for the sketch and really enjoyed them, so I decided to do one. Because I'm late, I'll have to leave a link to mine in the blogs' comments section. I was mainly inspired by Amanda Sewell whose blog name is Inkspiratons. She just had her 3rd baby...don't know how she does it all...as a matter of fact, I don't know how any of you fabulous moms do it all. There should be a special award for mother stampers. Just IMO.

So, there's my card; 2 dollar stamps from Michaels. 2 current SU in-colors and non SU white, purple and ds, some eyelets...I have 1000s of these I got at a convention years ago...coloring with mostly Copics...unsure of what I was trying to achieve here...SU scallop punch, circle punch, a bit of ribbon and the swiss dot CB folders, and oh, the brand spankin new EK corner punch...these punches are da bomb. I want them all --they have usurped MS punches for me -- cleverly designed and sturdy, and I did use a border MS punch on the card, but it may be the last one I get, and one teeny pink brad, some faux stitching...and check out the bunnies' tail. WHEW! There's a lot to this card.

Thanks for looking. Have a great week.

Erica

I fibbed

Well, I know what I said...an Easter card in 2 to 3 days. Nope, didn't do it...mojo wasn't working for the Easter holidays. But here's another card, that was easy peasy. The true color of the large mat is a fuschia pink...it looks purply here. I used a very old stamp that I got from the dollar store and just stamped kinda randomly, 'cause my attempt at a pattern was coming up short. The rose is brand new (to me) by Hero Arts, I can tell I will be using this often. I like the size and the openness of the flower. I want to try bleaching technique, but no promises. I've learned my lesson well. Two pearls from MS compliment this nicely and that's and that's a black base and turquoise mat that the flower is on. A circle in SU saffron with a squiggly from SU Elegant Inspirations and Clearly Wordsworth (never come across this line anymore) is the bless you sentiment.

I used Memories black ink throughout. And very important, this card is CASED. But I inadvertently deleted the email from my Feedbitz feeds. I get a ton of them for inspiration ya' know.

On a related matter, I'm getting ready to really invest in Just-Rite stamps to the tune of at least $50. So, I'm reading all the comments and suggestions I can find. If you came here to visit, kindly leave me any info you might know of or link to pertinent blogs. I'm ready to jump in. BTW, I do have the Monogram Stamp set, but find I'm not using it except to place my initials on the backs of my cards if I've been paid to make a card. And we all know that ain't often. BWAH HA HA!

Erica (who is glad hump Wednesday is over)