Camp Grouchy

Auntie Lou's camp (aka Camp Grouchy) is a homey spot on a lovely little lake in Maine. It's so relaxing sitting on the canopied double glider situated right at the water's edge, keeping an eye out for loons. It was the perfect place for me, my sister, my kids and their cousins Max and Paige to spend a day catching up.

It's pretty quiet during the week; most of the motorboats are used by weekend campers. Dominique enjoyed paddling across the lake and found herself just feet away from a (gaggle?) of loons - we counted probably 8 or more at one point. They'll soon leave the lake to overwinter on the coastal shores of the Atlantic.

Looks like she picked up a character on her way back in...

He could have walked in!

Another excursion sets off, on the paddleboat this time..... full crew aboard....

Hey, who told them they could have fun??? This is Camp Grouchy! No fun allowed!

Even Paige was out there jumping off that raft, again and again and again and again....

Meanwhile, back on shore, my sister Judie and I had a nice visit with my Auntie Lou and my cousin Paula, who drove up from Virginia to spend the summer with Auntie Lou. (Lucky girl! I'd be content with 3 or 4 days in a row to sit still...)

Peanut is one of the main attractions for Eric and Dominique. She's been Auntie Lou's sweet and faithful little companion for the past decade.

Hhmmmmm, now what are these two characters up to? Eric and Max had fun playing and hanging out together.


Nice hat, Connor...

The best seat in the house! Just ask Peanut!

Even though it was just a day trip, it was such a treat to be able to spend some time in this beautiful spot. I am so grateful for days like this.

Over the fence

Well, you know I love sunflowers.


Here's a cute stamp (Linda's) which I colored using my SU markers.





I wanted to frame the little hello (from an old SU set, which one, I do not know!) At first I tried making it into a flower, but it just wasn't working. When I cut the So Saffron DSP flower, using the Boho Blossom punch, it looked like an adorable little sun, which is just what this card needed. I also used the punch for the little dotted flower centers, which I affixed using old bronze brads. The base is Crumb Cake, the bottom mat, the frame mat, the flower centers and the 1/8" taffetta ribbon are all Early Espresso. The So Saffron mat is embossed using Perfect Polka Dots.

Inside is a little "thinking of you" in the same kind of font. I'll be sending it to an old friend of mine who keeps popping into my mind, as soon as I find her address!

More Faith in Nature

Did I say I love this set? The pear image, especially, is really pretty. (There is also a small leaf image with the script overlay, but it's a little too small to be a focal image for this size card.)

I created 4 1/4" square cards and made the stamped image the focal point. I used a PTI edger die #2 on the bottom and lined the inside front with matching card stock (Lucky Limeade and Baja Breeze). The seam binding ribbon (Pear Pizzazz and Baja Breeze) is the finishing touch for a couple of simple yet elegant notecards. The inner sentiments are both from Kind and Caring Thoughts - I think this script pairs nicely with the script on the main images.

Thanks for stopping by!

Faith in Nature

This new set, Faith in Nature, is really lovely. The quotation is beautiful, as are the images. Not my best card, but it's okay.

I used Island Indigo (don't like the name, but I do like the color! - it is more of a teal than an indigo) and Crumb Cake. The scored lines, made with my scoring tool, add a little textural interest, as do the Beautiful Wings embosslit butterflies. The sheerness of the Crumb Cake seam binding ribbon made it possible to layer over the flower stem.

The interior sentiment is from one of the first sets I ever bought (All Year Cheer I) and I got it specifically for this stamp. I like the fonts and the nice big image.


I've got a few more cards to share using Faith in Nature. I'll post soon.

Queen for a day

This is a silly little saying but I like it. It's obviously tongue-in-cheek....

... as the inside message suggests!

The Wisteria Wonder doesn't show up well in this close-up, but it's such a cool violet hue. I love it. The background was embossed with the Finial Press embossing folder. The inside sentiment is from (retired) Afterthoughts and the cover phrase is from Favorite Thoughts. The little crown is from Tiny Tags. The Lucky Limeade mat is backed by a thin mat of Concord Crush, popped up with dimensionals, and the stitched poly ribbon is also Concord Crush. I got some small and large eyelets at a local store, which match the Lucky Limeade, and I added some Basic Rhinestones to bling it up a bit, as befits a queen!

I hope you are royally impressed!

Boy Scouts and blueberries

The annual pool party for Troop 21 was a fun end to an exciting year of scouting.

Badges and awards were passed out and our scouts' achievements were applauded. Ben, Connor and Eric all got their share.

I am so glad that my boys are enjoying their Scouting experience and I am grateful to their leaders and organizers who make all the adventures happen.

Later in the week, Dominique, Tessa and I went blueberry picking at a nearby farm, after a stop at the local farmers' market for some goodies, including giant cups of icy, fresh-squeezed lemonade to keep us hydrated!

An adventure tamer than most of the Scouts' trips, but an adventure for us, nonetheless! The farm is tucked down a tree-lined lane off a busy road, and I wouldn't have known it was there except for the hand-letter sign pointing the way to "BLUEBERRIES". Once past the main entrance, you find yourself facing a gigantic bright red barn down a small hill, and off to the right, all under netting, are rows and rows of succulent, big berries for the picking. YUM! The first time Dominique and I went was a magical day, with orchard orioles flying all over the place, hopping under the netting to get their share of luscious fruit. We rapidly filled our buckets, although Dominique admitted that she ate as many berries as she picked! In an hour we amassed four quarts between us (most of mine went into the bucket, you see), and it cost $16, a lot less than the price at the supermarket!

We're out of berries now, and I hope there are still some left for the picking this week!

Flower Flyer

Here's a cute stamp I picked up at Ink About It.

I used my SU markers to color it in a very informal, watercolor-y style. (Can't wait to see how Linda makes it look using her Copics!)

The little butterflies are from another stamp I got while at Ink About It.

The wagon and the card base are both Sahara Sand; the main image is matted on Old Olive, Perfect Plum and finally Marina Mist textured card stock. The ribbon accent is done with Pear Pizzazz seam binding with Marina Mist taffeta layered over it. (The sentiment is Linda's and I don't remember what set it's from.)

I made another card using this stamp to send to Linda on her actual birthday using Riding Hood Red for the wagon and bolder, more saturated colors, but I forgot to photograph it before I mailed it. I think I like this color combination better, but then again, what's not to love about blue and green together?

Success

"If the day & the night are such that you greet them with joy and life emits a fragrance like flowers & sweet-scented herbs, that is your success." Henry David Thoreau

This beautiful quote is from the (retired) set Best Kind of Friend. It's a set I've always loved but used very little. I think these little button flowers accent it so sweetly.

I finally got around to using the SAB buttons and ribbon pack I got this past winter. I liked the way the oval fit into this Melon Mambo mat I had hanging around from a time I cut a bunch of these mats out using the Scallop Trim border punch - it's a little tricky getting a good four-sided mat, but if you measure and punch carefully, it works. (Or you could do what I did: tie the ribbon around the imperfect spot!) The other colors are Pacific Point, Old Olive and Daffodil Delight. The card base is embossed using Texturz Perfect Details and the bottom mat is adhered using Stampin' Dimensionals.

Next time I will cut out the vase and pop it up onto an embossed oval... although keep in mind that the more popped up your card is, the more it costs to mail! I found this out the other day and learned that a card which won't fit through a 1/4 inch wide slot requires a fair amount of additional postage.

I like this card better. This is a 4 1/4" x 4 1/4" card and will fit in a regular A2 envelope. The scallop square die cut is embossed using the Finial Press embossing folder. I think the circles fit this petite image better.

These cards are both blank so far. They could work in so many situations for which you'd like to send someone a card to lift their spirit.