Thanks a Latte'

I love word phrases that you can pronounce in such a way as to change the meaning of the words. Such is the case with today’s card. If you look closely, that is real coffee in the window. Something fun!Thanks for looking.

Elgin Park, Pennsylvania

If you enjoy miniatures, you need to visit Elgin Park, Pennsylvania, the Perfect Town. Elgin Park is not a real place but photographs of “scale models of everyday scenes from mid-20th century America” that Michael Paul Smith has been building for over 25 years. I heard about his model making while watching our local news and I was hooked. I found it by typing “Elgin Park” into the search engine. I wish I knew how to include the link in this post for you but, so far, I haven’t figure out how to accomplish this feat.

Today’s card is something Mr. Smith could place into one of the many houses he has built. You really need to visit his website and walk down memory lane.

Fishy, Fishy in the Sea

I was never a good student when I attended school. Recess, the bus ride and later, (or maybe not) the boys were my favorites. So it surprises me when I feel compelled to research images I use in my cards. Today is no different.

As either a child or an adult, most folks have shared their home with a variety of creatures such as these two goldfish swimming in their bowl. But did you know they have an amazing story that can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Goldfish are one of the earliest fish to be domesticated (who knew they could cook and clean) and that they are members of the carp family. In the best of conditions, a goldfish can grow to 23 inches, weigh in at 9.9 pounds and live as long as 40 years! Goldfish have a memory span of at least three months and over time, they learn to associate their owners with food and yes, beg! So there you have it, enjoy the card.

Palm Sunday

Enjoy your day.

Operation Write Home

Today I am sending birthday wishes to Sandy Allnock, President of Operation Write Home. Operation Write Home sends blank greeting cards to our nation’s armed forces deployed overseas to write home as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them. To date, 359,659 cards have been sent to heroes. This week 13 boxes containing 325 to 350 cards in each box were sent. The cards must be handmade and contain no glitter inasmuch as glitter can flake off making heroes visible at night. I am very proud to participate in this organization and if you would like to learn more about them or play a part in click on “Operation Write Home” on my sideboard. So, Sandy, happy birthday, and thanks for all you do!

Funny Bone

Today’s card tickles my funny bone. Apparently, I must have a long funny bone inasmuch as I prefer the humorous side of life. The only time my cup is half empty is when I am thinking of the gas tank in my car and that is only because if I thought of it as being half full, I would forget it and run out of gas. I always think on the positive side of life and I am always looking for the silver lining in any clouds overhead. Some people might describe me as living with my head in the sand and to them I say what? I can’t hear you, I’ve got my head in sand looking for garnets and other gemstones that exist in some sand deposits.

Thank You For Always Being By My Side

My brain is starting to come out of the fog from the lost of my sweet beautiful Bluz. My family and friends have rallied around me knowing the devastation her death has caused. My remaining golden, Rozie, is struggling as well. In less then 18 months, we have gone from a household of four golden retrievers to one. Needless to say, Rozie is very lonely. I can be her human, we can play fetch, go for walks and car rides, but I cannot replace the love and comfort one golden gives to another. One of the things I realized I had not done was to send a thank you card to Bob for getting us to the vet and then staying with Bluz when she drew her last breath, and to his wife, Lynn, for being there for me and for Rozie. Over the past forty plus years, this is not the first time they have had to rescue me. So in recognition to Lynn and Bob for their never-ending support, I give you this card. The inside makes the perfect statement. “Thank you for always being by my side.”

Clean and Simple

I like the look of circle cards I have seen on other blogs and yesterday I decided it was time to make one. I must admit I like the results. Daisies make anything pretty and when mixed with yellow, well, you can’t go wrong. Thanks for looking.

Love

LOVE, do we tell those we care most about that we love them too often? I think not! So to all I love this card was made for you!

Rememberance

Today is an important day for my brother. It is the “9th remembrance of the 29th anniversary of his 29th birthday”! My brother is very sensitive about his age (women aren’t as bad as he is) and you will be corrected immediately if you wish him a happy birthday. So respecting his wishes, here is his “remembrance” card.

Over the Fence

Every breed of dog has a job assignment in life regardless of their size or shape. Even though Golden Retrievers were originally bred to retrieve game, I am convinced that a golden’s true job and passion is to welcome each and every human and make them feel loved. One of the ways a golden will show its affection is through its nonstop wagging tail. Wagging of one’s tail makes one very tired, which explains the need for frequent naps.

There is an alley that runs adjacent to our backyard. While school is in session, it is quiet but once school is over for the day, the alley becomes a great place to ride bikes. When my golden, Rozie, sees someone, she runs as fast as she can to the fence and jumps up and barks and barks as if to say “Hey, hey, stop. I’m here, please stop, please pet me, I’ll give you lots of kisses. I want to be your friend, I need to be your friend,” (keep in mind that the kids are on bikes so they may pass by ten times in just a few minutes). Rozie’s speak is actually loud barking and I think she scares the kids. I keep telling her to stop barking, she’s scaring people, but she just wags her tail telling me I’m wrong and gives me that sweet smile only a golden can give. You would think after living with me for six years, she would know who is right. Although the dog in this card is not a golden, it will give you an idea of what the kids see instead of my loveable golden trying to be their friend.

Its Official

Its official! Spring has arrived and once again we are in store for another beautiful day. But hold on, I spoke with my brother in Boulder, Colorado, last evening and he reported seventeen inches of fresh snow and it was still falling! By my way of thinking seventeen inches of snow in his backyard is not a problem for me, but seventeen inches in my backyard, no way. Unfortunately, the weather system carrying the snow is headed our way. Let’s hope that it is the onion snow and only seventeen snowflakes arrive.
Because of the recent beautiful weather, I would be remiss if I did not post a public service reminder to remind all to use sunscreen. Remember years ago the billboards with the little towheaded girl and the dog grabbing her bathing suit bottom, well, here she is all grown up.

Balloons

My good friend, Judy, celebrates another birthday today. Like the rest of us, she is surprised how high the number is that she has now become. In honor of her birthday, I share this card with you. It’s a fairly simple card with birthday wishes and balloons. Speaking of balloons, did you know that balloons were first introduced by a priest in 1709, more than 300 years ago. Balloons are great to use to celebrate birthdays, but the simple balloon has many agendas. Balloons are now used in medicine, weather satellites, espionage, advertising, research, and tires, just to name a few. For today, its use is just plain fun. Happy Birthday Judy!!!

Up, Up and a Way

Today is absolutely splendid. The sky has just the right amount of clouds that makes you want to give yourself a hug, take a deep breath and appreciate all the goodness of nature. The backyard is coming alive with bulbs pushing up their buds getting ready to share the beauty within them. I have been gifted with a deep purple crocus a silly squirrel planted in the front yard then forgot. Nice surprise for me. The birds are busy preparing their nests for new offsprings. In Central Pennsylvania, we have to wait until Mother’s Day when the danger of frost has passed to plant annuals besides, we haven’t had our onion snow. I’m certain that mother nature is teasing us. Even so, today would be a good day to board a hot air balloon and soar.

Spring Friends

We are only two days from the Spring Equinox. That’s when day and night are of equal length and the signal to many species to begin the mating process, including mice – how else would we have all the little critters running about in the house come September. Both male and female mice begin breeding at about 50 days old and if the flower works, little miss mouse will be a mamma when she gives birth to10 plus pups at the age of 70 days. Two of the mice on today’s card are just flirting but, if all goes well . . .

Bluz

My sweet beauty.

For the Love of a Golden

Yesterday turned into one of those nightmare days you wish you could wake up from. My day started with an hour and a half visit to the dentist’s office to have a cap made for a tooth I broke. When I was free to go, I did a few errands before returning home. Other then the numbness in my mouth, life was good. A little later in the afternoon, I heard Bluz’s hind legs scrapping on the baseboard in the dining room. I assumed she was having trouble standing up. Boy was I wrong. What I witnessed was her having a seizure. Up to that point, I had never seen a dog have a seizure and I had no idea what I should do. I remember being told when my cousin, who had a seizure disorder, would have one, not to touch him. So, I stood close by, helpless, and kept whispering her name and telling her it would be alright. I did have enough wits about me to call her vet and our dear wonderful friends, Lynn and Bob, for help. Bob was here within minutes and carried her to the car. He drove and I sat in the backseat with Bluz and continued to talk to her and tell her how beautiful and perfect she was. Although the seizure had stopped, she clearly was disoriented. While we were in the vet’s office, she had another seizure just as violent as the first. The doctor gave her a shot of valium but she continued to seize through the valium. Because of the length of the seizures, intensity, duration and frequency, the vet was confident that she had a brain tumor and there was nothing that could be done to help her. I knew in my heart the first moment I saw her having the first seizure we were about to be separated from each other.

In memory of Bluz I post this card today. It reminds me of her when she was a silly little puppy anxious to love and be loved. I love you Bluz. Life won’t be the same without you.

Dirt Be Gone!

I have four absolutely beautiful granddaughters, Shauntelle, Chelsea, Graci and Kayla. Shauntelle is a college student, Chelsea is a high school senior, and Graci and Kayla are four-year old twins. Graci and Kayla are about as opposite as you can get but, they both love to help regardless of the task, even being my spotters, and very good spotters, when I do my “labor of love” – picking up the love droppings the goldens leave in the yard. The twins have their very own set of lime green work gloves, too cute! I have small brooms, leftover from when their mamma, Aunt Johnna and Aunt Alecia, were little girls they like to use. I don’t think any of the girls ever got this dirty, at least not sweeping my house; nevertheless, the card does remind me of them.

Thanks for looking.

Cuppa Sunshine

After such a rainy day yesterday and more showers predicted for today, we all need a little sunshine. If you know me, you know that’s not coffee in my cup!

Thanks for looking.

Special Birthday

My dear sweet granddaughter, Shauntelle, recently celebrated her 21st birthday. Not sure how my children got to be old enough to have adult children when I am so young. Trick of my imagination I guess.

I wanted to do something very special for her birthday. Since I am unsure as to what she wants or has, money is the best choice. But I didn’t want to just put cash in a card and be done with it. Special birthday, special card and here it is, the outside and the inside. Hope you like it.

Thanks for looking.

Sisters

My wonderful friend, Barbara, is a master gardener and her home and gardens show it, so beautiful that Barb and her husband have been invited to participate in a multi-municipality garden tour on June 13, 2010. On Wednesday I was at Barb’s for lunch after which, we went to her greenhouse and planted impatients, lettuce and marigold seeds. I know the seeds Barb planted will mature into beautiful plants. Although I am the daughter and granddaughter of florists, I do not have a green thumb. The front of my home has shrubs and the backyard is dedicated to my K-9 girls to romp and run in. That’s my excuse for not having plants and I’m sticking to it besides, I’m lazy. So I was surprised and honored when Barbara asked me to be a docent for the upcoming garden tour. I do know the difference between a dandelion and a rose. I know impatients, petunias, mums and pansies when I see them but one of the gardens she is planning is a Three Sisters Garden, never heard of it. Barb explained that the very wise Native American Indians would plant corn on a mound and when the corn grew about six inches high, they planted beans around the base of the corn to provide a stake for the beans to grow on. After the beans started to climb the corn, they would plant squash next to the beans and together the corn and beans provided shade necessary for the squash to grow and in return the large leaves of the squash would spread out and help shade out weeds, deter critters, and provide some protection against drying out the soil. Together the three sisters would provide a healthy diet and long-term soil fertility. How awesome is that!

I don’t have a picture of a Three Sisters Garden but without naming names – you know who you are, here are two sisters.

Dandelions

Seems to me a dandelion is a weed that everyone works to keep out of their yards. My late grandfather, a professional florist, once told me that a rose in a field of dandelions is a weed. I think he was trying to tell me that it all depends on how we look at things. You know, one man's junk is another man's treasure.

I am showing you two versions of a stamp of dandelions once they have gone to seed. Remember the kind you picked as a child and blew on while making a wish. I always think of my grandfather when I see a dandelion.

Thanks for looking.

Mrs. Potts Teapot and Cup

Last evening my sweet wonderful son, Sam, and his beautiful wife, Kathy, came over with a surprise for me, a new kitchen faucet. What a relief from the horrible whistle the old faucet made. I do think the sound bothered my K-9 girls more then me. Since my home is 101 years old, nothing has ever been easy to repair or replace. Naturally, instead of taking 20 minutes to install the new faucet, it required a special trip to the hardware store for a new water valve. Sam turned off the water to the sink before he left. While waiting for Sam, Kathy looked at my box of cards and gave the card I am sharing with you a name. Thank goodness we were in the kitchen because shortly after he left I heard water running. Sure enough, the water was coming out of the water pipe at a pretty fast drip. Because of the small area, I squeezed under the sink with a cup and a bucket. Five buckets later and serious concern for Sam’s whereabouts, he returned. Poor dear took the wrong exit on the interstate.

So here is Kathy’s reminder of Disney’s Mrs. Potts Teapot and Cup.

Signs of Spring

The weather has been wonderful, the crocus in my neighbors’ yard is blooming, we turn our clocks ahead this Sunday and the arrival of spring is marked on the calendar for March 20! Everyone I know is ready to turn their backs on winter and move on to nicer weather without the threat of more snow and ice.

The daisy I am sharing with you today was heat embossed and then painted with bleach. I love the results.

Snail Mail

I personally love email, such an easy way to keep in touch with friends and family. However, there are still times when “snail mail” makes a better impact.

Feathered Friends

Yesterday, I saw two robins. That means it won’t be long before birds that migrate north will arrive and warmer weather will prevail! Oh happy day, that means that spring is just around the corner.

Great Saturday

What a wonderful day to be in Pennsylvania! The sky is the most beautiful shade of blue and not one cloud. Central Pennsylvania has been living with a rumor of 30-40 inches of snow forecasted by an amateur for this weekend. I just don’t see it happening.

My good friend and I spent a great day together. It’s a special day and we’ve been sharing this day for several years now. We start the morning, 7:45, with a mammogram and then shopping, shopping, more shopping and lunch. Makes having a mammogram much easier when having fun with a good friend afterwards.

And this little chick is ready to go shopping. Love her purse and high heels. She’s just fun!

Best Birthday Fishes

Every time I turn around there is another birthday to remember. One birthday every five years would be good enough for me (note to kids: you can still send me presents). I do love sending birthday cards and this month I have several important birthdays among my family and friends. So with that in mind, I present “Best Birthday Fishes”.

Little Girls

How lucky I am to have been blessed with three lovely daughters. Although they are all adults now, this sweet little lady reminds me of them.

Humans' Best Friend

Everybody who knows me knows how I feel about dogs. I love, love, love them regardless of size, shape or fur. Because of my love of dogs, many of the cards I make are about dogs. This one is one of my favorites.

Not too long ago, I shared my home with four wonderful Golden Retrievers and frequently, my “fifth daughter”, a very laughable Labrador Retriever named Sula who likes to come for sleepovers. Sadly, two of my Goldens, Harley and Lizzie, have gone to the Rainbow Bridge. Of the two remaining, the oldest is Bluz who will be twelve in May. I got Bluz when she was only five weeks old and she has always been perfect. The youngest, Rozie, will be seven in July. Rozie was only four or five months old when she came to live with us after she was thrown from a moving car. From the beginning, I anticipated behavioral problems. Why else would a person toss a dog out of a car? To this day, her only bad habit is that she must put her foot in the water dish when getting a drink. I don’t know if she thinks she is holding the dish down or if she just enjoys having one wet foot. I do know that one corner of my kitchen floor is always wet and as soon as I clean it up, she is thirsty again.

Mom and Dad's Anniversary

Although they are no longer with us to celebrate, today is my mother and dad’s wedding anniversary. I cannot tell you how many years they would have been married because you might be able to estimate the age of my brother. He stopped counting birthdays early on and started celebrating anniversaries of his birthday and now, he’s counting anniversaries of the anniversaries of his birthday. I don’t know why, it is so much easier to fib about your age or just ignore the question entirely!

On a side note, yesterday I found daffodils popping out of the ground in my backyard! We still need the “onion snow” to finish off the season but hurry spring!!!

First Attempt

Why a blog? I enjoy viewing blogs of fellow card makers and decided to try it if for no other reason to bug my children and friends.

I have a box of 100 plus cards I have made. The first card I am sharing with you was randomly chosen.