Mini Love and a Good Man!

Hey Y'all,

Did I get your attention with the title?  LOL

Well I'm talking about a mini-album and a good husband who did a couple of scrap room projects for me today.

I have been a busy beet working on a valentine mini for Scott and Kristen.... worked solidly from 2 pm until 10pm, didn't even stop for dinner. Completed mostly everything but the binding so I wanted to give you a sneak peak...AND to show you I haven't been a total "slack" since last week. 

Here is the front cover...I'm going to do a video hopefully tomorrow with all the details....









Then Good Man part of the post...
Russell put up a new light above my peg board in my office and ....I CAN SEE!!!  I CAN SEE!!!
Also, I had a great idea to organize my stamps...At IKEA, they have THIS.  Russell ran
in it under my cabinets and I hung all my clear acrylic stamps from it with these clips that I had from a curtain project...It is working out really, really well....that's another video I need to do soon..... to show you my new stamping area I set up...

To Russell:  (Thank you honey....you are too good to me!!!)

Micki

Hello Everyone,

I just received this award from my friend Linda at Payne Holler Cards.  She is one of the most talented card artists I have ever seen!!  I don't even consider myself even close to her league.  I've told her before that I wish I could just sit her studio and watch her create... 

Here is my award:

10 Things That Bring Me Pleasure:

1.  Hearing I love you, Mom!!
2.  Seeing Russell come in the door from a trip!
3.  Kittens Purring
4.  Taking a great, clear, vibrant photograph
5.  Beautiful Bassoon Music (Scott is a bassoon major.)
6.  Craft Stuff
7.  Waterfalls
8.  The rustle of wax paper (I know, it's weird)
9.  Red Velvet Cake
10. Watching Jeopardy with Sam






this award also comes with its "rules"...to tell you 10 things that bring me pleasure....and then pass on to 10 friends.

Passing this on to:

1. Annie
2.  Penny
3.  Vicki
4.  Cindy
5.  Linda
6.  Carrie
7.  Shelly
8.  Samantha
9.  Roxy
10.  Amanda
(in no particular order)

You guys are so talented and leave such sweet comments on my blog...I wish I could give you this along with a big piece of cake...

Micki

Have You Hugged Your Cat Today???

Hey Bees and Divas,

You all are so sweet!!!!  Just wanted to tell you that.  Russell is still out on a trip and it is raining cats and dogs...so I thought I would make a cat card...  I thought I would try my hand at coloring with Copics on a digi stamp that I printed on my HP B9180 and Neenah 80lb white CS.  I downloaded a free stamp from here called Hug A Cat Stamp. 

 

 

Recipe

Card Stock:  Base - Gina K Ocean Mist

                     Ivory - Unknown

DP:  Cosmo Cricket

MS Edge Punch

Sentiment:  the Paper Studio Everyday Expressions

Lace, Fiber and Bauble from Stash

Here are the Copics I used....I only have a few....

William, Joe and Henry just had to get in on the card action::::::
I guess they wanted a HUG!!!  or FOOD

All Photos taken with Canon G10


Later Taters,
Micki

My Chicks Have Flown!!

Hey Friends,


I was supposed to go to a Copic class this morning but I just didn't.  Started yesterday, having a really bad bout of empty-nest syndrome....  No creations...just missing my little birds...
Micki

And Now for Something Completely Different!!!

Hello Blog Friends,

TETON ANIMALS

 Slideshow
Catsoup Photography and Productions
Photography by Micki Switzer....




Are you up for watching something totally different. Another one of my hobbies is creating slide shows...with a program called Proshow Producer.  It's the advanced version of it's little brother Proshow Gold..  These are some of the best programs out there for creating slide shows...and I highly recommend it if you are at all interested in this sort of thing.
     In 2008, I was able to visit Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone and  took a "few" pictures...a few thousand pictures.  All photos were taken with the Canon 5D and various lenses....
Below are a couple of the landscapes I took on the same trip.....

Three Reasons to Support Local Charity Thrift Stores!!

Hey:

     Today I went to three local charity thrift stores, had lunch, rented two movies and had dinner with my husband, Russell.  We went to a restaurant that those in this area call a meat and three...I had Chicken 'n' Dumplins, Fried Okra, Green Beans, Biscuits and Banana Pudding and Iced Tea...  This my friends was some fine food.. 
The only thing crafty I did today was make a haul video....check it out...I got some pretty good stuff for cards and albums...
Oh...and I just finished the movie...He's Just Not That Into You....and it was a definite 2.5/5 stars...glad I didn't see it in the theatre.  I might let Russell take me to the movies tomorrow to see Avatar...if he's good.

Here is a picture of my biggest Kitty....Her name is Kitty...
I know...not too original...but we tried a bunch of other names....she's a pretty Kitty..
Very easy to take care of but doesn't like to be held but we know she loves us.

Are You Ready For Some Football!!!!!

My parents (Mother and Rodney) have a group of friends that get together every year for a Super Bowl party and this year is their turn to host...told her I would make her invitations which is what I did today. When I looked through my stamps, I couldn't find anything that fit a football theme....Oh, if I had to make a card about owls or cats or coffee or flowers or flourishes...I'm covered... Learned today that I have major holes in my repertoire of stamps..... Any who*****

This card qualifies for the Designing D.I.V.A.S. Monthly challenge...the requirement was stitching..real or
faux...  and I'm a faux kind of girl all the way but I decided to actually sew on this card...didn't know I could actually do it.
Here is the invitation:

 I started with a heavy-duty chocolate brown card stock base cut at A2 size and scored down the middle.  Layered on the Touchdown by Reminisce DP..this paper is double-sided...

The "field yardage" paper (alternate side) was edged with the MS Grass edge punch.  I used Tea Dye Distress Ink to distress all the edges of the layer paper.

For the football, I downloaded clipart from the internet and cut out  a whole 12x12 page of footballs 3" wide on my Cricut, using the Sure Cuts A Lot software.  I ran the footballs through the Cuttlebug using the Tiny Mosaic folder to give it that leathery look.  I got the idea  for the leather on the home page of SCS the other day (Wallet Project).  I then embossed the debossed side of the football with Zing Chocolate embossing powder.  Used a paper piercer to pierce holes in the center cut-outs and stitched with embroidery thread (half strand doubled).  Adhered to card with Stampin' Up dimensionals.  Ran the ribbon through my Xyron machine and attached.  I roughed up the edge of the ribbon and used a Tim Holz edge distresser to roughen up the edges of the card.  I stamped the inside of the card with a foam "You're Invited" stamp I finally found in my stash using Brilliance Moonlight White. 

Here is Macro shot I took with my Canon 100mm Macro lens....

I have got to get these invitations addressed and in tomorrows mail....or mother will have my hide...or pigskin...which is more appropriate for the occasion!!!

Micki

Chipboard and Old Lace

Hello Friends,

Yesterday was my big workshop at Archiver's in Buford, Georgia which is about 1.5 hours from home.  I met some really nice ladies in the class and a couple of them were on their way to scrapbook retreats for the weekend....what fun!!  Two friends had rented a house in the North Georgia mountains....
If anybody lives near an Archivers, I really recommend this workshop.
After my lunch at Moe's Southwestern Grill, I headed back east to the Lavonia Antique Market to look for anything vintage I could use on cards or albums...and lo and behold I found a whole box of vintage trim...you gotta check it out on the video.
By the way...William "Yammer" Binks though I couldn't tape this video without his supervision.  Do you think my yelling at him to get down worked??  Yeah..right!! 

Gotta go see what I can get into today....I need to rearrange my studio......but what I need to do and what I want to do are well......diametrically opposed!!!!

It's a LOve THing!!

Hello Friends,

I'm sitting here with a cat in my lap (Henry) and one on the back of my chair (Mr. Binks) helping me post my card for the Glitterbee Challenge.  This is a card of Firsts!!!  It's the first time I've used my Serenade Cricut cartridge and my new cardstock I bought at Gina K's.  This is the first card I have ever entered into a challenge, the first one I've ever made specifically for my blog, and the first one I've made from a sketch.
Here is how interpreted the sketch: 
I've used the curve of the birdcage and the curve of the sofa arm to represent the half-circle.  The collar on the kitty represents the bow and the sentiment is used instead of the three brads on the upper right.  The wide rectangle is the sofa and quilt and the other is the curious kitty......

Four Hours Later :


It took me fooooorever to make the card and even longer to figure out how who manufactured all the materials I used.  The sentiment stamp is still a mystery.....I even looked on ebay to try to find the name...
Oh well.............................

Here Goes>>>>>>>

Card Recipe:
Stamps:  Catitude by Inkadinkadoo and I seriously can't remember who made the sentiment.
Birdcage and Bird:  Cricut Serenade and Aqua Stickles
Card Base:  Halton Greeting Card Base
Embossing:  Cuttlebug Paisley Embossing Folder and Zing Chocolate Embossing Powder
Quilt:  Basic Grey June Bug Collection & Fiskars Scalloped Edge Punch
Adhesives:  ATC gun, Stampin' Up dimensionals, Zig Pen, Glue Dots glue line

Card Process Highlights:
Birdcage cut at 4" and Bird at 1"
Quilt scored with Martha Stewart scorer...
Couch is hand cut and run through cuttlebug
Dimensionals used on Couch, kitty and quilt....

So HERE IT IS>>>>>

It's a LOve Thing!!!!

Visit to Gina K and Madison Wi Craft Stores

Hey Friends,

Yesterday morning, my son Sam and I set off on "my" big adventure of hitting all the craft stores in Madison, Wi...well as many as we could stand in a day.  Sam is such a trooper...just went along for the ride so I wouldn't be lonely; he's a good son.  First stop was a stop in McFarland, just south of the city to visit the retail store of stampTV's Gina K.  It was regular sized store but they were hopping in there filling internet orders.  I browsed every item and all the sample cards and made my purchase, introduced myself to Gina...but I didn't take her picture...I felt too weird about that.

Gina K Haul included :
 Card Stock (1 package each of Pure White, Pure Ivory, Ocean Mist, and Neutral Assortment)
6X6 Basic Grey paper pad from the June Bug collection
and
My big purchase was the Showtime Stamp Kit: Ecclectic Summer.  I really liked the hot air balloon stamp included in this kit. 
I also hit the Wisconsin Craft Market, 2 different Michael's, JoAnn, Tuesday Morning and Archiver's.  I really enjoyed Archivers...the ladies in there were so friendly. Oh and just to let you know...I did bribe Sam with Barnes & Noble....and lunch and dinner. 

 

Haul, Haul, Haul

First of all, I want to thank you for the warm wishes for my mother's recovery.  She came through her surgery just fine and was back home the same day.  Today she was up changing the placemats on her table, so I think she's doing pretty well....  It wasn't quite as cold today, got up into the 20's here in Wisconsin, I think it was in the 40's at home in South Carolina.  I haven't seen my husband in almost three weeks so I just want to tell him (when he reads this) that I miss him.  I'm not usually very "lovey dovey" so I think he will be in shock with my last statement. 
     Being away from home, the only form of entertainment that I have is of course, my computer and shopping.  I go out every day to scower the back aisles of the stores to see what I can find.   I have scavenged some really great deals on my trip and I made my first haul video today with my camera but as per usual there;is a problem.....I only have a compact flash card reader for my laptop and my Canon G10 uses an SD card so I can't upload it.  It was fun to make though...shaky...you will probably need dramamine to watch it. 
Today, I went to Hobby Lobby and used a coupon on my iPhone.  Yes, there is an app for that....it's called "Yowser" or "Yowzer"...it downloads coupons from certain stores that you can show the cashier and use them like paper ones.  Hobby Lobby is one of the participating stores....  I loved it...I felt so "technologically with-it".  On my haul today, I got a bunch of Christmas ornaments that I'm going to take apart to use as embellishments on cards and mini-albums.  I used my coupon for some Aidorondak alcohol inks..my total bill was only $15.00. 
     I have so many projects to do when I get home....Super Bowl Party invites for my mom and some sympathy cards (not my favorite but necessary). 
Speaking of spending money...Have you guys found any really good deals online??  Let me know...  
     I just found out that the stampTV's GinaK's retail store is near Madison, Wisconson and I plan to visit that later in the week....along with other scrapbook stores in the city....I've just about exhausted the stores in this town...gotta branch out!!
Micki

Baby, It's Cold Outside!!

HELLO ALL

I finally put on my snow boots and ventured out in the back garden.  The sun was just going down and the light was a golden color on the white snow.  I really like the way the snow hangs on the birdhouses and melts around the statuary.  My "finigies" got really, really cold in my mittens....