Swim Meet

 Hallo,
    Just a couple pics from my DS's swim meet this week - finally got around to editing them. The one pic you can't see him very well but I liked the way the water looked :)
   The last 2 are my favorite of the day - good pic of him and cool water effects with the splash and the way the splash reflected off his arm in the first and in the second I think its cool the way his reflection is in the pool.
  All for today - still working on moving my craft room - pics on that later in the weekend or on Monday.....

Take Care
   Tera

Fairies and Mermaids

Hallo,
  I knew I was forgetting something - I forgot to get my post up for the current challenge over at Sweet Pea Stampers - check it out here - http://thesweetpeastampers.blogspot.co.uk/

The challenge this time is for 'Fantasy"
I used Ching Chou Kuik's 'Restless Thoughts' and colored her with prismacolor pencils. I cut her out with a Spellbinders label die (it was rounded on both end but I cut off the bottom one straight. I used 3 layers of ribbon and some purple pearl drops with a tulip fabric pen and a dark purple base cardstock.
   I am in the middle of getting my craft room moved over to my DD's room - took a lot of my huge stash of alterables out of my clothes closet and into the new craft room so it will be easier to 1 - find and 2-easier to get to.....
   I have been working on it for 3 days straight and still have a lot to go so I had better get back at it.
   Have a great day!!!!
         Tera

Humming Along

Hallo,
  I took a break from cleaning out my D's room yesterday and made up a card for the current challenge over at Flourishes for their Tuesday challenge - which this week is for a bit of 'distressing.' Check out the challenge here - www.flourishes.org/blog/
   I had this image already colored up in my stash - it is of course an image from Flourishes and colored with prismacolor pencils..
  I used Spellbinders dies for the main image and the next layer and distresses the edges of the main image and the bottom layer of DP with a bit of walnut stain distress ink.
   I was in the mood for fall colors so the orange DP and then brown mesh ribbon and some bronze pearl drops with a viva décor pen, all onto a kraft cardstock base.
   I have a couple errands to run today but for the most part I will be working on my new craft room - I have about 2/3 boxes worth to pack up yet of my DD's stuff and take down the shelves in the closet, clean and then I can start moving my stuff into the room !!!! I decided not to repaint the room as I really don't have the time and besides my DD has good taste in colors anyhow!!!
   I had hoped to have my room done by the end of the week but it is a BIG job so its not looking like I will have it done - hopefully I will have most of it done . I have to work sat and sunday nights but can finish off next week - I just want to get back creating (after today it will be a few days....)
   All for now - Take Care
           Tera

 

Finished rug and Husker dog Kyna

 Hallo,
    Well I got out early for my morning walk - nice and cool, love it!!!! Miss Kyna loves it too - she is all energy!!! But she looks so cute with her new Husker bandana!!!! (see end of post for pic)
    While I was home in Nebraska I finished off DD's rug for her dorm room. Even though I have shown some of these pics before I thought I would show you from the start again.
   This is a locker hook rug that I  designed for my DD with all her HS activities on it - the school mascot is an Indian and he carries a spear so I started with that and then wrote the initials of her activities on the handle (IB, JRROTC, SOFTBALL, SWIM)
then she wanted a flag and a softball and I wrote the schools initials on the softball along with her softball number. The background of the rug was done in mostly blue patriotic fabrics (some there are bits of red and white showing too) - because her JrROTC program was Air Force. The letters are all in green because the school color is green.
   This was done with locker hooking and I drew the design on the mesh with a sharpie. The only thing I think I would do different is the letters - the darker green fabrics didn't show up near as well against the brown so if the DS wants one I will stick with the lighter greens.
   I started out by folding under about 4 rows of the mesh and stitching around the entire edge about 4 rows deep - leaving the first row blank because I knew she wanted fringe and so that would make adding the fringe easier. I always finish the edges with either fringe or by whip stitching the edges - just looks nicer and in the long run makes the edges 1 - less likely to come apart and 2 it just looks nicer.
   I did the letters first as they took the most time and then filled in the small spots first - spear, spear head - blue part of flag, stripes blue background, yellow and last the fringe. Most of the time the mesh likes to be worked in one direction - otherwise you have to contend with the rows squishing together - in this case it liked to be done the long way - which made doing the stripes very tedious (5 stitches, turn rug, 5 stitches , turn rug - I made that a bit better by running 2 needles at once so could do 10 stitches - 5 red, 5 white - before I had to turn the rug).
   I was really happy with how it turned out!!! And better yet - DD seemed to like it too!!!!
   Last but not least is the picture of my sweet puppy Kyna and her new bandana - it was really hard to get a good picture as she doesn't like to sit still much - her she is in 'squirrel mode' :)
   All for today - better get busy
       Take Care
               Tera

I am back!!!!

Hallo,
  Well I am back and DD is safely tucked in at college in Nebraska - I am now officially a Husker Mom!!!
   We went up almost a week early to visit a little with family and allow DD and I to go to Omaha and Lincoln a couple days so she could get the lay of the land. It took us 2 days to drive up and then I flew back yesterday afternoon.
  It was really nice to spend some time with my Mom and see a few friends. My very special third  Grandma passed away almost 2 months ago now and we went and had dinner with her daughters one night, one of whom I hadn't seen in many years (more than 20 in all reality) but its nice to know that even with that much time passing, how close they still are in my heart!!!
   Spent a bit of time with my brother but missed out on seeing his daughter Dani as she headed off to college the morning after we got there. My sisters daughter is also at U of Nebraska in Lincoln and spent all week "rushing" so we didn't get a chance to see her or my sister.....
   I unpacked a bit last night and then hung out a bit with the hubby in the pool - a bit cool it was too - not too much sunshine here in the sunshine state this summer and all the rain has kept the pool a bit on the cool side.
  SO today I started tackling my DD's room - sorting/cleaning/packing, swept-vacuumed, the rug in her room was a mess so I vacuumed and steam cleaned that. Took my puppy for a walk, did several loads of suitcase laundry....well you get the idea.
  My puppy was such a lovey little crazy girl when I walked in last night and she has hardly left my side all day - but she got so she wouldn't be in DD's room with me - she would start whining and get all sad looking, but when my DD called later you should have seen the puppy face when I put her on speaker so she could talk to her :)
   Alright - I have a couple things to do yet tonight so - real quick about my card today - The stamps are from Flourishes of course and I stamped the main image onto kraft colored cardstock from Neenah - 'desert storm' and colored it with prismacolor pencils. I layered it to two DP's in purple, the phrase in a third and then the base is regular kraft cardstock. I found this great rustic kraft colored ribbon/twine at HL and then used pearl drop accents with a viva décor pen to finish it off.
  I should have pics of my DD's locker hook rug that I made - I took it home with us and finished it off in the evenings. No pics of the DD and she didn't let me take any pics....sigh.....maybe I can get a couple when we go home for Thanksgiving!!!
   All for today - Take Care
         Tera

Torn Edges - Sweet Pea Stampers challenge

Hallo,
   Its Sweet Pea Stampers challenge time again!!!
  I am pre-posting this time because I am out of town for the week taking my DD off to college - sniff, sniff....
  The challenge this time is  to 'tear it up - torn edges' I didn't go too hog wild with the tearing thing, but I distressed the edges of the top main image and the wood grain layer and slightly tore and crumpled a corner on each.
  I used Sweet Pea Stamps 'Preadtory' and colored the image with prismacolor pencils. I stamped the image onto Neenah desert storm (kind of a lighter colored but smooth kraft cardstock - great for pencils or copics).
   All for today - Hope you have a great weekend, DD and I will be visiting family this weekend and she moves into the dorms later in the week.
   Take Care
         Tera

Fall Colors

Hallo,
  Well one more post before my DD and I leave for our road trip - I am pre-posted for Friday for the new challenge over at Sweet Pea Stampers blog too.
  The Tuesday challenge over at Flourishes starting today is for fall colors and this card has some great reds and oranges so that is what I am going to use it for :)
  I really wish I had done the background of the main image in light blue or light teal blue though.....sigh.....
   I used one of my new stamp sets from Flourishes called  - 'Picking Wildflowers' and colored it with prismacolor pencils. I pulled out the poppy DP and there was some teal in it as well as the red and orange so I pulled some other teal DP with a bit of orange in it too and backed it to red cardstock and a red layer to the main image too. And then used teal pearl drops with a viva décor pen for accents.
   Check out the challenge over at Flourishes here - www.flourishes.org/blog/ and play along and you may win some stamps from the newest release coming this week!!!
   All for today and except for Friday it may be next week before I post again - depends on access to computer as I am not bringing mine (no room in DD's car :).
   Take Care
          Tera

Rust and teal anemones

 Hallo,
    A nice relaxin Sunday for me - course yesterday was pretty good to (we went out on our friends boat with them and it was a great relaxing day to be on the water, a nice breeze and some cloud cover kept it from getting too hot!!!)
   I worked for awhile on the locker hook rug I am making for my daughter and then put together a few cards. I love to just sit and color and had 3/4 images ready to go so I just sat and made up 3 of them.
  As you can tell - I really love the color combinations from the first release challenge this month over at Flourishes - rust and teal....
  My DD and I are headed out Wednesday morning to drive her up to college (AKKKKK - OMG) so I won't get the chance to make any cards for the rest of the release week challenges (maybe I will get lucky and some of the 3 I have made up and waiting will match one of the other challenges...).
   Check out the challenge over at Flourishes here - www.flourishes.org/blog/   Play along and you could win some bran new stamp sets from Flourishes.
    I used ones of my newest sets - Anemones. I stamped the center bunch in black and then masked it off and stamped 2 more times - one to each side - in gray (so the middle bunch would stand out more)
I colored them with prismacolor pencils - the main bunch in rust tones and the side ones in a light teal blue.
   I edged the main panel with teal ink, layered it to rust colored cardstock edged with rust colored ink, then to some ribbon - a silvery gray one and a teal one - and then to a very dark gray card base.
Lastly I added some teal drop accents with a Viva décor pen.
   All for today - I need to get back to work on my DD's rug and then we are going out to eat at one of our favorite seafood restaurants - probably our last time out to eat as a family all together for awhile .
   Have a great week !!
      Tera

Lanterns

 Hallo,
   Well I didn't get much sleep after work last night - about 2 hours - I had 2 errands to do for when I woke up about 2 (alarm set) but kept thinking about the errands and woke up at 11 and couldnot get back to sleep so I went and ran my errands.
  DS went to work, DD was hanging out with friends and ran an errand for her Dad so I went off to the craft room to play with my new stamps.
  I really love the colors for the first release challenge for next week that was posted yesterday on Flourishes blog - teal, rust and gray - and since I had a hard time deciding which to do yesterday - pinwheels or lanterns - well I did the pinwheels yesterday so today I did the lanterns.
   Check out the challenge over at Flourishes here - www.flourishes.org/blog/ - play along and you could win the entire release!!!!
   I pretty much used the same papers today as yesterday and paper pieced again too... I also pulled out a Flourishes die to help spotlight the lanterns...
  Alrighty the computer is making me sleepy so its time to get up and move again.... Have a great weekend!!!!
     Tera

Pinwheels

 Hallo,
   Just a quick post today - on my way into work for the night. I did this card with one of my new stamp sets from Flourishes - just got a whole batch in the mail today :)
  I did this up for the first release week challenge posted up on the Flourishes blog today - the challenge was to combine summer and fall colors - teal, rust, and gray. Check out the challenge here - www.flourishes.org/blog/
  I did a quick paper piecing and a couple simple layers and was done pretty quick....what took me the longest is finding a ribbon to match, I finally took this kraft colored ribbon and used my rust color distress pad on it and it turned out to match perfectly!!!
   All for today - Take Care
        Tera

Wildflowers

 Hallo,
   It was such a nice cool morning today, so our morning walk was really nice. The thunderstorms last night brought the cold front (relatively speaking anyway) but then it didn't take too long to amp up and  with more humidity too - so I headed to the craft room.
  I did this for the current Tuesday challenge over at Flourishes, which is to use a stamp to make your own background paper. Check out the challenge here - www.flourishes.org/blog/
  I chose the main image from one of my newer sets - 'wildflowers' and stamped it onto both the base card stock and the next layer in memento brown ink and edged the panels both in brown.
  I stamped the wildflowers onto white cardstock and colored them with prismacolor pencils and cut them out with a Spellbinders die and edged that panel with brown too.
  The second layer started out as an orange flowered DP but it didn't look quite right and when I flipped it over the back was a teal blue  and looked great with the reds and oranges and I had this piece of old 70's style lace in orange and yellow that turned out to look pretty good too. All I added after that was some pearl drop with a bronze Viva Décor pen.
   Well its about time to get my nap as I work tonight so all for today :)
         Take Care
               Tera

GinaK CSS blog hop color challenge

 Hallo,
   Welcome to another Gina K Center Stage Alumni blog hop. This time we are having a color challenge - yellow, gray. white and one other color.
   If you are following the hop then you came to me from Vicki - http://allidoisstamp.blogspot.com/2013/08/stamp-tv-css-blog-hop.html  and I am sure she started us off with some great stuff!!!
    "Make sure to leave comments as you go along the hop because we will choose a random comment and that stamper will win a grab bag of Gina K. Designs products! Look for the announcement on Tuesday, August 13 - on the Stamp TV home page.
  I chose an older set this time but it is one of my favorites!!! I love orchids and recently had one of my yellow ones bloom so that was my starting point today. I started by pulling out some gray and yellow papers, and as usual I couldn't decide which one of the 3 combo's I liked best - sooooo.... I did all 3.....
   I stamped the orchid onto white cardstock with memento black and colored them all with my prismacolor pencils - each one is a slightly different shade of yellow (although that is kinda hard to see here). My one other color ended up to be green - I edged the main panel with green ink and layered it to the yellow and some old 1970's yellow crochet trim and then to the gray .
  For embellishments I found some stickers with gray beads and then used silver (shiny gray right?) and some rhinestones on one card.
    Now I will send you off to Lori - http://smilingwhilestamping.blogspot.com/2013/08/css-group-color-challenge.html     for some more great ideas!!!
    All for today....Take Care
        Tera

Cupcake tags

Hallo,
   Just a sweet little post - I have been thinking a lot about my DD going off to college next week and planning the 'care packages ' I want to send her now and then. Well when I bought my Accu cut, I got the cupcake stand die and there is this great little cupcake place here in town - course I would have to do the overnight mail thing, but wouldn't it be cute to have a fancy cupcake with matching stand and gift tag!!!!
   So today I made up 3 tags and they also go along with the current challenge over at the Impression Obsession blog which is for 'words of encouragement' - check it out here - www.mitrafriant.typepad.com
   The stamp I used is called 'Keep calm' #B11091
   I am continually trying to use up my scraps so all 3 of these are left from recent projects and small pieces of ribbon or trim left over too....
   I will be back later this evening for another post if you have the time.... see ya then...
        Take Care
            Tera
 

Sweet Baby

Hallo,
   Just a quick post as I get up and moving for the day after working last night.
   A quick card today using the same colors and papers from the last baby box but used the coral red cardstock for the base  in addition to the frame - for a bit of a different look.
   The main image is from My Favorite things and is colored with prismacolor pencils.
   Off and running - my house needs to be cleaned.....
   Take Care
         Tera