Artists Trading Cards

My ATC Club meeting last Sunday was great! I'm really enjoying spending time with the new lady friends I've met and it is such fun to see the creative ATC's they come up with. Our theme for the month of September was "Ladies". Here is mine . . .

Below are some of the ATC's I received. One is more beautiful than the next. Isn't it a group of talented ladies that put together these little wonders?

After we trade cards, our leader, Michelle, has a "Make and Take" for us to do. She always presents a different technique for us to try. One month we used embossed metal and another month we used gold foil. This month we embossed our ATC's and used acrylic paints and Stickles glitter glue. It was fun and done in a flash.

I love this ATC Club! Our theme for October is "Halloween", of course. I'm sure we will get quite an interesting array of ideas. Each meeting gets better and better. I so look forward to these meetings each month. I almost feel like a kid getting ready to go to a birthday party. How goofy is that . . . but what a great feeling!!

A Beautiful Rainbow

I was lucky to catch a beautiful rainbow from my office window this morning.




There's a double rainbow on the right in this next shot, but it's a little difficult to see.



I'm having fun learning all the little tricks with my new laptop. Rachel was having fun with the webcam this evening. There are lots of fun effects you can add to photo's you take with the webcam. I love all these gadgets . . . after Rachel shows me how to use them!!


Our "virtual" photo of us in the City. Pretty neat!

Back In The Game

I have been out of "blog-commission" lately as I have not had a computer to use. My son started college and now must use my laptop, as his computer no longer works. The desktop in my room also needs to go to its final resting place. I could blog at work, (though I really should not do that) but I've been so busy that I haven't had time. So, I decided that I deserve a new laptop, don't you agree? It arrived today!!



So now I hope to be able to blog more regularly and follow-up on my friendly blogging buddies more regularly also. I've been missing reading about what everyone is doing and can't wait to catch up! I've been busy myself and anxious to share. My most recent activity was for my ATC club. Our theme was "Ladies" and my group made some really awesome ATC's. I'll share tomorrow.

It's so nice to have my own laptop again! And I just love the red!!

What's On My Shelf?

Peggy, from Musings of Meggie, tagged me in a meme.

This meme is a simple one. Collect the book that you have most handy, turn to page 161, find the 5th complete sentence, and cite the sentence on your blog. Next you're supposed to pass it on to 5 others, but I'm not going to pass it on. If you want to leave me a comment and share this info in that format, I would love it! It's always fun to see what people are reading and whether or not they recommend the book.

My book of choice is . . . "New Moon" by Stephenie Meyer. Yep, I'm reading the Twilight series and I'm loving it! It was a good beach read on my recent vacation. I'm now onto the third book in the series, "Eclipse", and enjoying that too.

So . . . . to set the scene . . . Bella is frantically trying to find Edwards former home. She thinks that if she can only get back to the place she was last with him, his current absence from her life won't be as devastating. Surely some trace of him would remain and bring comfort to her empty soul. Why did Edward feel he had to remove himself from her life? Could his presence bring such danger to her? She's driving along the wooded road, certain that the long driveway to his house was hidden somewhere amongst the thick brush. She sees an opening and pulls in. Pleased with herself that she found the right path on the journey to Edwards home, she catches a glimpse of the massive home surrounded with windows. And now the 5th complete sentence on page 161 . . . "I shivered".

Come on, pull out your book and share in a comment. Page 161, 5th complete sentence!!

Pay It Forward

Having been the fortunate recipient of "Pay It Forward" from Deb, Garage Sale Gal, it is now my turn to Pay It Forward for someone else. I'm going to put together a nice little package of goodies for the first three people that comment to this post that would like to participate. Leave me a comment saying you are interested and then I will send you a sweet package just for being you. What you then need to do is Pay It Forward to someone else. Let's keep lots of niceness going and make someone else's day. I was thrilled to get this package of goodies from Deb! She knew just what I would like as we've been blogging together for well over a year. Check out this sweet towel handmade by Deb! I love it!

Deb also made this pretty starfish.

And this cute card.


Just look at all of this vintage ephemera!! I will have such fun creating with these goodies!

Bringing a smile to someone's day is so rewarding and it's such fun to receive a little package in the mail, lovingly put together by someone that cares! So come on, leave me a comment and say you want to play along. I can't wait to see who I can bring joy to!

If I remember right, you should try to send the Pay It Forward goody within 30 days. It can be aything you would like to receive, something handmade, a craft, anything that will bring a smile to someone's face and let them know that you were thinking about them. You also need to put the above button on your Pay It Forward post. Anyone interested?

I'm A Poser

As my daughter, Rachel, would say, I'm a poser. My mother always used to say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. I like my mom's analogy better!!

I saw this beautiful headboard lamp over at Mo's Cottage and just had to have it. It's from Victorian Trading Co. Have you ever seen their catalog or website? Oh my! Beautiful things - you must go see!! I snagged this picture from Mo's Cottage, which she got from the catalog. Mo's dear friend, Sharon, bought it for Mo's birthday. What a sweet friend!!

I just ordered this cute little lamp yesterday and I can't wait for it to arrive. It will look so pretty on my bed. So, yep, I'm a poser and I love it!! Thank you, Mo, for your inspiration!!

Show and Tell

Wanted to share a couple things with you that I recently received. Remember the flip flops I made for the Flip Flop Swap? Here are the ones I received. I have them hanging on a ribbon over a mirror in my dining room. Just a week left to enjoy their beauty, before all traces of summer are removed and Fall takes its place.

Last weekend I attended my ATC (artist trading card) club meeting. It was such fun! They always teach us a new technique. Most recently we learned about using gold foil, something I've never used before. We used the foil on the moon in this ATC that we made during the meeting.

There are 16 club members that each contributed a card for the month of August. Our theme was "Under the Sea". It's so interesting to see all the different perceptions. Aren't they beautiful?

I was the lucky recipient of "Pay It Forward", hosted by Deb, our Garage Sale Gal. She spoiled me with massive vintage goodies and two beautiful handmade cards. I have been having such a good time creating things this summer and these items are going to be such fun to put to use!!

Check back tomorrow for my "Pay It Forward" so I can bestow upon you some luscious treats just because!!

When in Sanibel recently, I found this print that I framed yesterday. I am going to hang it in my bedroom in the little spot I carved out for myself to create fun things. I just love the colors and the feeling it evokes.

We all have creative thoughts popping into our head daily. We just need to grasp those thoughts and run with them. There's no finish line so enjoy the journey!

Ducks

I have different ring tones on my cell phone so I can easily distinguish the caller when my phone rings. Of course my ring tones bear some significance to the caller and it's fun to pair the person to the appropriate ring tone. Rachel's ring is a quacking duck. I remember not too long ago reading about when our President was speaking and someone's quacking phone went off. The President found it quite amusing and wondered what would be next. I thought it was quite funny that it was the same ring tone as Rachel's.

My dear daughter befriends every critter in our neighborhood, with her favorite being the ducks. They are interesting creatures, the ducks. Each one has a name, lovingly bestowed upon them by Rachel. Do you realize how often ducks reproduce? I've always heard that rabbits take the lead in that area, but these ducks are either sitting on eggs or they are surrounded by ducklings.

I can't help but be drawn to them, to some extent. Imagine my dismay this morning as I was leaving for work, when by my car were nine two week old ducklings quacking their little heads off because their Mama was nowhere to be found. I mean, just where do these ducks get their mothering instincts from?

I figured this would be a good Kodak moment, so I try to snap a quick one. Guess I should've gotten a photo release or something because in a flash, Mama was back, herding up her babies away from the mean old lady with the camera.

Hmpf! Now she acts like the doting mother!!

ATC's

I finished my ATC's for the swap I'm in at my local scrapbooking store. There are 16 participants and our theme was "Under the Sea". It was lots of fun and I can't wait to see what next month's theme will be. This is only my second time making an ATC, and I just loved the whole process!

On our recent vacation to Sanibel, we brought home a bountiful of shells and a small container of sand as I wanted to give these ATC's an authentic look. Here are all 16. It was interesting to make 16 of the same thing, but once I had the first done, it was nice to sit and listen to Norah Jones while working on them.

Tomorrow I'll show you the ATC's I received. Hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday!!

Back to School

School started here in south Florida on Tuesday. Rachel is in 10th grade this year. Time sure has flown by! Bags are packed, ready to go!

My nephew, Kyle, is starting high school. He made the football team which makes everything a lot more fun.
The cousins went to their first day with lots of positive anticipation and they were certainly off to a good start.

Here's to a good school year!! Hope everyone makes the most of it!!

A Day In The Life

It will be 19 years next month that I have been living in Florida. I love it here. I am vacationing this week on the west coast of Florida. One may think that Florida is Florida, but the north is so different than the south and the west coast is so different than the east coast. There are so many interesting things to see and do in each part of the State.

I had a rather startling revelation today. In the half century plus that my existence has graced the face of this earth, I have never gone to the beach by myself. There is something ethereal to spending time alone in such a peaceful place.



I chose not to go along on a three-hour boating and shelling cruise and opted to spend some time alone. I love time to myself and it was splendid today on the beach. It's a totally different experience to spend time at the beach alone. Have you ever read Anne Morrow Lindbergh's "A Gift From The Sea"? Add it to your "must read" list. You won't regret it.

We did some shopping this afternoon and I found the cutest little plate in one of the local antique shops.

Sounds like today it was all about me!!

I wonder what adventures are in store for tomorrow . . .

A Room With a View

We are loving Sanibel! This is our pathway to the beach. The condo we are staying at is behind me from where I am shooting this photo. Yep, we are right on the beach! The water is gorgeous, the shells are plentiful and the state of mind is peaceful and content.

Look at this pretty plant. I imagine it is a hibiscus as that is definitely a hibiscus bloom, but I've never seen one with pink leaves. I love this and must find it when I get home. This will look beautiful in my garden. I have a nice container just waiting to be filled so I may do something similar to this.

I always get so inspired and rejuvinated when I have time to sit and relax. Vacation is a beautiful thing.