Trying to get back to normal...

Whatever NORMAL is! 

Hello friends. It's been quite a few weeks since I posted and today's post will be very short. I just wanted to stop and let you know I am really alive and well.

Like most of you, the Christmas holidays before and after that wonderful time of year, takes a lot of our time and energy. It seems I have been on the run since before Thanksgiving. Today I'm playing "catch up". I returned home from a 13 day stay in North Carolina and Virginia on Monday late evening. Gosh, I hate those 5+ hour flights, but had a wonderful time with my family, so it was worth the hours, not only in the air, but the layovers.

I am going to be working on New Year cards, Thank you's, and a brief newsletter, hopefully in a few days. Yes, I didn't miss type New Years cards. :} I was able to send out family Christmas cards, but did not get cards out to friends and extended family. Maybe next year I will do a better job at that. We'll see how that goes!

What are your New Year plans? I hope something safe and fun. My hubby and I will not be attending our churches New Year activities tonight which includes playing games, worship and communion to usher in the New Year. He came down with a cold the second week of December and unfortunately, it has turned into bronchitis and he has not been feeling well for 2+ weeks. He finally agreed to going to Urgent Care yesterday afternoon. That was a 3 1/2 hour ordeal, but he did get some prescriptions to help his healing along. He will be staying home the rest of the week, which is so unusual for him.  I think in the 34 years I have been married to him, he has only taken perhaps, 2 days off from work because of sickness.

Have a Blessed and Happy New Year  

and I hope you will have a chance to do something CRAFTY!

Hugs,
Bernadette

What a Wonderful Time of the Year!

I just returned home from Scottsdale, AZ  late last night. Steve and I left the day after Thanksgiving to visit friends and take care of our little "cottage" there.  We will be renting it out again from January through March and I wanted to wash curtains, windows, dust blinds, and do some scrubbing.We also bought a couple of pieces of new furniture and I did some rearranging.

This was taken several years ago before and added landscaping.  Although we didn't add much. This little place has given me so much pleasure even though it's a 1983 Mobile Home. I enjoy it as much as my new 2013 manufactured home here in San Marcos, CA.

I love my front porch here in San Marcos

My favorite side of the house

We had a wonderful time, although Steve had to leave on Sunday afternoon to be back to work, I stayed until Wednesday early evening. What a joy to spend time with old friends. 

Do you find when you have good friends, no matter how long you've been apart, you just pick up that relational bond when you do see each other? They always make me feel special when I see them and go out of their way when I'm there. It truly was a time I needed to regroup. Thanks, Barb, John, Sue, Alan, Randy, Wendy, Linda and all the rest of you who blessed my heart while I was there. You and Road Runner Lake Resort is certainly a special place!

Might post title was chosen, because as a Christian, this time of year is so wonderful and so special. A time to lift the name of Jesus and remember how important His birth was, not only to believers, but to the world who are desperately in need of Him in their lives.  

John 3:16 NIV

  For God so loved the world that he gave his one 

and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but  but have eternal life.

 What a promise, what a Saviour!

Hopefully, I'll be back on track with posting cards and projects here within a couple of days. Stampin' Up! has a new catalog reveal and I'll be posting information about that.

Make it a great Thursday and do something CRAFTY my friends!

Hugs,
Bernadette

MOJO373 Tall and Skinny

Today's card is using the new MOJO373 Tall and Skinny Sketch for the end of the month challenge.  I cut my card 6x7 and will have to make an envelope to fit it, but I prefer this size.

I did keep it fairly simple  using only a few layers and 2 embossing folders.  The sketch didn't call for an embellishment in the left corner, but that spot was missing trees and really needed to be filled in.

I hope you make it a great Monday evening and will get to do something CRAFTY!
 
SU PRODUCTS
Santa and Company DSP
Old Olive CS, Soft Suede CS, Naturals White CS
Retired Wood Buttons
Woodgrain EF, On Point Textured Empressions  EF
Retired stamp: Christmas Messages


Hugs,
Bernadette

 

Twirly-Whirly Birthday

Good morning! Today I am posting a card that I have linked to two blog challenges, MOJO372 and Color Throwdown319.

The focal point on this card was spurred by Linda over at stampingschool.com. It is the Flat Pinwheel technique which is a technique that was popular 3 or 4 years ago, although this is the first time I have made one. I really enjoyed putting it together and there are endless possibilities for colors and papers.  

WARNING, these can become addictive!

I knew this would be work great for the MOJO sketch, and since I had to make a feminine Birthday card, the Color Throwdown  challenge was perfect.

I decided to use a retired SU stamp, Wishes Your Way, since it originally came with a matching Pinwheel die cut.

The pattern paper is just some I had in my stash. I was pleased it matched well with the the Pear Pizzaz. The Blushing Bride was embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots EF.

To add the blue in the color combo, I used a strip of Night of Navy CS embossed with the retired Lattice EF,  matching ink and a circle punched with the 7/8" Scallop Circle punch. A Blushing Bride button, Candy Dots and some white Bakers Twine finished up my card.

I hope you make your Thursday a great one, and as always, go do something CRAFTY my friends!

Hugs from CA,
Bernadette

Thanksgiving Re-designed Cards

Today I'm posting 2 re-designed Fall/Thanksgiving cards that I had previously posted here on my blog.  

I needed 14 cards, and I needed them ASAP. Why do we card makers either NOT send cards we've created, or are scurrying to get some made? It's still a mystery to me...

 

I really love both of these cards, but needed something a little less time intensive and using the products I had on hand. Here is what I came up with. What do you think?

Inside of Early Espresso/Crumbcake card

Both cards were stamped using the sentiment that came in the October 2014 Paper Pumpkin Kit. (I corrected this. I inadvertently put November PP Kit)

I was thrilled with this kit. So, so pretty and so MUCH product.

Here is a link to the YouTube Video Stampin' Up! has uploaded so you can see all it's GOODNESS!

If you would like to get a "Creative 30 minute Fix"and get a new project every month, you can CLICK here and subscribe under my business page. I would love to be your Creative coach, answer questions, and occasionally give you alternative projects using the months kits.

Stampin' Up! also offers a 3 month, 6 month, and 12 month subscription at a savings. Why not give it a try? You won't be disappointed.

SU PRODUCTS:
Paper: Early Espresso, Crumbcake, Old Olive, Naturals White
Ink:Tangerine Tango, Mossy Meadow, Soft Suede
Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder
Labels Collection
Brights Candy Dots
Large Oval for pumpkin pieces
Modern Label for stem
Bird Builder Punch for leaves 

I hope you make this a great Tuesday and do something CRAFTY, my friends!

Hugs, 
Bernadette

Wishing You Christmas Cheer

Today's card is a card I created for Mojo371 , Paper Players, and Christmas Stamping All Year Long (anything goes) challenge.

I'm really getting accustomed to creating the "Less is More" cards. Clean, simple and easy, you can't get much better then that! I still struggle a little always seeming to want to add the MORE, though. I believe the more I create cards like these the better and more comfortable I will become.

Do any of you struggle with this kind of card? I would love to know your creative thought process when you sit down to do one.

I did use a retired SU Christmas set, Christmas Messages, which I am still very fond of, pairing it with the new and very popular, Festival of Trees with matching punch. The sentiment was framed using the Deco Labels framelits(#1)

SU Papers: Mossy Meadow, Cherry Cobbler,Very Vanilla, and Under the Tree DSP
Very Vintage Designer Buttons

Well I'm off to link these cards up and get working on my Thanksgiving cards. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and as always, do something CRAFTY my friends!

Hugs,
Bernadette

Just Stopping by Today

Good afternoon! Just stopping by today before another day of an "empty" blog. We have had my daughter and granddaughter from Florida here for several days. We have had a wonderful time just hanging out and doing some special things.

We went to San Diego Safari Park one of my favorite places, by the way, on Saturday. The crowds were down, the sun was shinning and the animals cooperated.

This male Gorilla is over 40 yrs. old!

 

 

 

Great Lemur interactive exibit

We had a fun, but were tired. An extra treat for the evening was to go to Phil's Barbeque in San Marcos. Their Rib Tickler is great and priced right.

Sunday was our Sunday service where Pastor Aaron is doing a yearly series,  At The Movies, that uses movie clips to bring us a teaching on our relationship with the Lord. Free candy and Popcorn provided!

Panera was our next stop, then family pictures at the Forum Shopping Center.

 

This is one of the beautiful Trompe L'oeil paintings in the shopping center. We took several family pictures using this background. Beautiful, isn't it?

After a few hours of rest ( actually naps) we headed to Temecula to Chapin Winery for a wine tasting. Temecula has 39 wineries. This is the first one we have visited here since living in California.

My daughter left yesterday and my granddaughter will be leaving tomorrow evening. One of the hardest things living here on the West Coast is having 6 children and 6 GC on the East Coast, but thankfully, air travel, Skype, text messages and phone calls keeps us connected. 

I hope this didn't bore you all too much. Have a wonderful evening and I hope you get to do something CRAFTY my friends!

Hugs,

Bernadette