Tuesday, March 27, 2012

WOYWW 147

Not much going on here today.  I got up and got a good start on cutting out an egg frame for my buddy Virginia.  I then decided to start cutting out kits for my May class.  Well, that went well until I discovered I was missing several pieces of card stock....oh well, I'll do them later.  So then I went on to writing a few letters, addressing a few envelopes and reading some emails. 

So on I went to a very productive day of sitting in the recliner and watching TV shows we'd recorded.  My dog thought this was a great idea.  I would include a photo, however, me sitting in my jammies, watching TV is not a photo I think anyone would be ready to see....So, until I get my act together and create something....it's good bye for now.  I'll see you all later.....

Hugs from rainy Northern California,
Mary AKA:  Glitter Grammy

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Two Posts In One Day - I'm on a Snippet Role!

While hopping around to see who came to play in Pixie's Crafty Workshop playground, I found another challenge that looked pretty interesting, so off my little feet went to see what I could make using the sketch provided.  Check out the Crafting For All Seasons Challenge.  I think I stayed pretty close to the sketch.  There is some BoBunny DP, but the rest...I'm not sure.  I was using snippets and couldn't find a name anywhere.  The sleigh and the reindeer are Marianne Designs, they were cut on pieces of suede.  Of course there are Spellbinder dies inside and out.  Speaking of inside.....
I like how the inside turned out, so I shall share.....  Could the DP be Anna Griffin?  I'm not sure, but I'm thinking maybe!  So, As I was getting ready to clean up, I saw all these bits and pieces laying around, and I spied the graphic shown and thought....hmmmm another snippet card for Pixie's Crafty Workshop....   I'm running wild in the playground today.....The graphic has been in my Christmas stash for sometime.  I think she goes well on this card.  And the bells, they are from Paradise Scrapbook Boutique

What about Rudolph Day.... over at Stamping For Pleasure. it's really Rudolph Week...so you still have time.   I somehow miss this one way too often, especially since making Christmas cards is my very favorite thing to do. 

Since it's a rainy day, I think I'll clean up my mess and curl up in the chair with my little guy, Baxter and check out who has been doing what this week. 

Have a most wonderful day.....and a fantastic week.

Mary AKA:  Glitter Grammy

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Pixie's Crafty Snippet Challenge Number Thirteen

Something old, something new, something borrowed....nothing blue!  Geez, where did that come from.  I was looking at the photo and it came zipping into my little brain.  Pixie's Crafty Snippet Challenge is becoming a favorite place to play.  Check out her blog page and maybe you'll want to skip into the playground and play with all of us.  So, here it is, my snippet card for this week.  The base of the card stock is BoBunny, and it isn't a snippet.  It measures 6x12 inches.  The next layer and the remaining card stock are snippets.  The suede is actually a green color, although it doesn't look green in the photo, I use this a lot on Christmas cards and this is the last piece I have....more is being ordered by Karen, so I didn't feel bad using it.  .  The doily is an old one, probably been in the doily drawer for 5 or 6 years.  I just never have found a place for it.  Gotta love paper doilies....The lattice egg was cut using my Gazelle electronic machine and the base of the egg was traced onto a piece of glitter paper.  The bunny, she was a gift from my buddy Virginia.  She's die cut and if you follow my blog, you saw her on my desk top on Wednesday.  The eggs were die cut using the Memory Box Egg dies.  The back egg has tiny flowers that were cut from the ribbon and glued on.  The flowers were purchased at Karen's (Paradise Scrapbook Boutique).  I am addicted to these flowers.  I added the purple bling in the top right because the area looked so empty.  You can see just a corner of the inside and it was cut using a Martha Stewart Deep cut border punch. 

Our little Blue Jays have been busy putting the finishing touches on the nest.  It's been such fun watching the two as they work to make their perfect nursery.  It's kind of funny really, mom flies off to gather mud for the inside of the nest.  Dad is still bringing pine needles and scraps of paper and leaves.  If he brings something that isn't suitable, out on the ground she throws it, and chirps her disapproval...off he goes to try harder.  She uses her body to round and smooth the inside of the nest.  I tried getting a photo of her doing this, but I can't get too close to the window when she's working. 


The inside of the nest is pretty protected from view.  I stood on a chair to try to shoot down into the nest.  The reflections on the window make it a bit hard to get a good shot...I think they should be finished building soon, the nest is getting quite deep. 

If you click on the photo, you can enlarge it and it's easier to peek inside.  It's I'm impressed with the ability of these little creatures....they build and the only blue print is that of Mother Nature. 

Along with DH and I noticing all the building....the neighborhood cats, and our two strays, have seen all the commotion.  DH saw our neighbor cat laying under the bush waiting for the birds.  He dug into his stash and this is the temporary protection he's made for them.  It doesn't seem to have bothered the birds.  The cats don't look any too happy!
Until next time....Enjoy your nest.....

Have a wonderful week...... {{{{ Hugs}}}}}

Mary AKA:  Glitter Grammy

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

WOYWW - 146

As my DH would say....It's Wednesday somewhere and for the next 3 hours it'll be Wednesday here!  So, it doesn't look like a lot is on my desk, but let me tell you about it.  Check out Julia's blog and see WOYWW.... and if you haven't played along...give it a go, it's a great way to get in a creative state of mind!

I spent the day with Virginia and Kathy.  While Virginia was showing Kathy the ins and outs of her new Cricut, I was borrowing Virginia's dies....this is what I punched and as you can see, many little snippets must be removed before they are put on a card.  I'll be working on that as soon as I'm finished posting.  So...no finished card today, but hopefully I'll have a snippet card or two to put on Di's blog page.  Thank you Virginia for lending me the dies and I want you to know I had a great day.  I think Kathy is going to be very creative on her Cricut.  I'm looking forward to seeing what she makes. 

A little story...I don't have a Cricut, but I do have an electronic cutter, I bought one a few years ago at a Scrapbook Convention.  I chose this brand because I didn't want to have to purchase cartridges and I wanted it mostly for cutting letters and I wanted a large variety of fonts.  The machine has fulfilled those needs quite well.  A few months back I bought a new computer and I couldn't get the cutter to work.  I kind of forgot about it, being busy with other things.  Well last week I wrote to the company and they put me in touch with an angel named Terri.  What I needed was a new driver and she got me up and running quickly and was SUPER friendly.  So a shout out to Terri and a big thank you to BossKut.  Remember, I said I mostly do letters....I decided since the Cricuit girls were going to be cutting and piecing....I tried my hand at it.  So without further ado....Here's my bunny.  I have one thing to fix on it, but I think it's pretty cute. 

Spring excitement in our yard.  We have a Blue Jay couple feverishly building a nest in a bush outside our home.  I'm not getting my hopes up quite yet.  For the past two years the same thing has happened and both times the couple abandoned the nest, once leaving the eggs and once before they were layed.  So....here's our little couple and the beginning of the nest.  They were considerate enough to build in a place I can easily get photos. 

Beginning of a new home.

Is This Momma?  Or Daddy?  Not sure!
Another shot....of him or her!

Well....I guess I'd best get moving, before you know it, it'll be Thursday......Have a great week!

Hugs to All.....Mary




Tuesday, March 13, 2012

WOYWW Number...145 and more

Yesterday I purchased a sheet of crepe paper from Karen at Paradise Scrapbook Boutique.  It was an impulse purchase....now that's something new for me....NOT!  I'd seen a flower that Rachel made and my mind went to that place that says....hmmmmm I wonder what a flower die would do...I'll ask if I can post a photo of Rachel's flower...it's really beautiful.... anyway, so, I bought red and green crepe paper  and came home to give my Spellbinder daisy a try.  The card stock is a piece of 110 pound plain white cardstock.  I  seem to have bits and pieces of this stock laying everywhere, I'm never at a loss for snippets of this card stock. The Cuttlebug embossing folder made the polka dot frame and the white ribbon have been laying in wait for the perfect spot to use them.  The frame behind the flower was cut using a Martha Stewart border punch.  The sentiment is a Stampin Up stamp which has been stamped on a Spellbinder tag.  For the inside page, I repeated with a piece of crepe paper and the MS border punch.  The button in the center of the flower is actually a paper button made using a Stampin Up die.  Looks like a button, but will lay nice and flat in the envelope. 

So, here's what my desk looked like while I was in my planning stage.  Trust me it's looked much worse.... I've got several projects laying there waiting to be finished.  An album I'm making for my DH,  a Christmas card I've been thinking about putting together for what seems like forever and off to the side (hidden from view), are several dies waiting to be added to a book I'm putting together to inventory my dies. Yes, this is the year I get organized....ok, I think that was my goal for 2011 also....  I'm posting my link on Julia's blog page....if you'd like to see more desks and more than that more projects...hop on over to Julia's blog page.  And how about joining in, it's easy and fun!

And then there is another favorite blog Pixie's Crafty Workshop.  Di challenges us to use snippets and it's always fun to see what beauty comes from bits and pieces. 

We had a few days of spring like weather and my spring house cleaning clock was ticking away.  I took everything out of the china cabinet, washed everything, cleaned the mirror and glass and now, I spend lots of time gazing at my sparkling beauty.  There is something about shiny....

 
Well, I guess I could blab on for longer, but I see a few of you nodding off....until next week, stay warm and dry, enjoy your week and I'll see you soon!

Hugs to all,
Glitter Grammy

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Here it is....the Napkin Card Is Finished

I decided that it was time to get some housework done and told myself that until I took everything out from under the kitchen sink and scrubbed and organized it....I couldn't go into my craft room.  Under the sink is clean and tidy and my napkin card is finished.  I must have had Di in mind when I made this one....It's pink, pink and more pink!  If you want to know more about the napkin card and how it came to be, read yesterday's post. 

Speaking of Di, I'm going to skip  on over to her blog page and post this little gem.  The napkin graphic, the frames, the ribbon and the inside flower are all snippets.  I'm always amazed with all the beauty that comes from pieces and parts.

Who knows, maybe I'll have my act together enough to play some more this week.  If not, see you soon I hope.

Mary AKA:  Glitter Grammy

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday?

I'm getting an early start this week, tomorrow is our meeting with the tax man and after that....I may not feel much like crafting.  Soooo today I was watching a shopping network and several crafting items were up for sale.  One lady was demonstrating projects she'd made with napkins, which she was selling in a kit.  The wheels in my mind started turning.  All the products she was selling, I already have....well, what could I do? 
So, here's what Perfect Paper Adhesive, a napkin and glitter created.  I like it....  I'm not sure what I'll use for the base, of the card....but this is one option. 

I did learn a great technique from the shopping network demonstrator.  I used to do quite a bit of napkin cards, however, separating the layers of paper was a pain in the.....drain.  She made two little tape handles out of blue removable painter's tape stuck one to the front of the napkin and one to the back and she pulled.  Guess what, this really really works.  I couldn't believe how easy it was. 

Be sure to check out what Julia's been up too, and check out all the creative folks that have linked through her blog.  If you haven't played yet....what are you waiting for....I've met some super creative people there and I've gotten some great ideas from Julia's followers. 

I'm off....got to get my beauty sleep.  Have a great week. 

Hugs to all,
Mary AKA: Glitter Grammy

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Pixie's Crafty Snippets Challenge Number 10

Last night I stayed up way too late, I made the mistake of cuddling up in the recliner with my dog Baxter.  He and I were reading blog posts on my Ipad.  Well, one post led to another and another and another....well you get the picture.  Pretty soon it was 1:30 in the morning and my eyes were begging me to quit.  So, where am I going with this?  I found a pop up card on several blog pages.  I'd seen this card before and put it on my card bucket list, but never did anything with it.  One of the posts linked to a gal at Splitcoast Stampers that had written directions.  Sadly, I didn't write down the who or the where.  Today, I was heading in to clean up a mess in my craft room (imagine that...a mess in a craft room, who ever would have thought!)  anyway....I said to myself...Self, how about trying that card before you clean up your mess.  I thought I'd given myself pretty good advice....so, the above card is the finished product.  I made some adjustments because the first card I made didn't fit into the 1/4 fold envelope.  This one does.  I'd been bugging Karen to order me the Bo Bunny card stock and she did.  I'd made one card using a piece (that will be card 1 for May) and used the remaining piece to make this card.  I always seem to have gold snippets laying around, and they were perfect for the ornament and the frames.  I'm almost out of the suede, but there was enough to cut the background for the ornament (barely) and I had a nice strip for the village.  I'm happy!  I think this card turned out rather nicely (ouch, I hurt my arm patting myself on the back). 

While jumping in and out of blogs on my Ipad, I did become a bit frustrated with all the word verifications I had to attempt to put in before commenting on some really great cards.  One of the sites had a gadget that said to turn them off.  I hope mine is, because I'd hate to irritate anyone by leaving it turned on.  It doesn't show up when I'm commenting from my Ipad, so I'm hoping it is turned off....if not, can someone tell me where to go to do so?  On my desktop it's not so irritating, but I gotta tell ya, on my Ipad, it is the pits!  I tried to leave a comment on one gals blog 4 times, never did get the word verification correct.  Ok.....I've vented!

 I'm always excited to see what everyone is creating.  Here's where my card is posted: 

Pixie's Crafty Workshop - Snippets
Christmas Cards All Year Round - Green (two green patterned papers)