Merry Christmas!

This is just one of the beautiful pictures my friend Brekke took of little George when he was two weeks old. If you want to see the rest go to Brekke's blog at http://feltphotography.wordpress.com/
I have so enjoyed the pictures, my daughter made amazing Christmas Cards and Thank You cards with them, and we think Brekke's the greatest!
This Merry Christmas is day late, because tomorrow my family is opening gifts, so this is not quite, but sort of, Christmas Eve for us. We are all separated due to circumstance this year, my husband is with his parents this week and our prayers are with my husbands father, who is in ICU in Missoula MT and we are praying that all will be well with him.
Enjoy your Christmas, ours is snowy here in Mapleton UT, over a foot in my driveway this morning. Even the mail carrier got stuck in front of our house today! I brought her a shovel and shoveled a path in front of her, and eventually between the two of us we got her out. I am so grateful my eldest son shoveled my driveway this afternoon, it took him three hours...of steady shoveling with only one break. Yay for strong men!
Have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Grandbaby Boy has arrived!

I have become a grandma times two! Whoohoo! My new little boy arrived at 9:12 am on Saturday after a long and hard labor. He's a cutey and very bright and alert! 8 pounds 7 ounces and 20 inches long! No pictures to post, sorry about that, you will have to go find his parents and see if they will let you look. But I just wanted to tell you that Baby George's cousin is here and seems a pretty healthy little boy!

George Douglas Putnam

Here he is, our new precious grandbaby. He was born last night, November 27, 2008 at 12:52am. 7 lbs. 2oz, he's 20 inches long. Isn't he something? And me with no sleep at all, well maybe twenty minutes. His mom, our daughter Lindsay did great with an amazing four hour labor, and he was born with a knot in his cord, so he's a little miracle boy scout! We have so much to be thankful for today, Happy Thanksgiving!

Garden Eating Deer

These are the deer that keep coming back to visit, each day, several times a day. I really should work on getting a better picture of them. There are three, two bucks and a doe. You can only see two here, the other one is over eating the apricots. They pretty much eat all the fruit before it gets ripe, and as it falls off the trees. They also break the branches and eat them too. They live in our neighbor's backyard pretty much full time . Pretty soon I will name them...any ideas?

Monkey Man's Birthday

I made this for my son's twentieth birthday! Wow, he's my youngest, time flies by! We called him and his stuffed monkey both Monkey Man when he was little...so I like to make him Changito Monkey Cards. I used Naturals Ivory and SU Designer paper on this one. I stamped the monkey's in Basic Brown and colored them with SU Markers. I got carried away with the corner punch and a piece of textured no name card stock. I sponged it with Holtz Distressed Inks in Vintage Photo and Tea Dye.

Super simple and inexpensive...

My sister is helping with her Women's RS Stake Retreat, (speakers, crafts and activities) and she had to come up with several designs for cards. She isn't really a card maker, so called me, but there were some difficulties. There was next to no budget, and there would not be a demo or teacher at the card station, the women would just come, and have to "see" what to do and do it. And of course these are not card makers really either, so they are new to the craft...so. It had to be an easy card, it had to be able to be made with any donated or inexpensive supplies, and it had to be just a good simple design-so you are happy with the final result. So here is what I did. I used double sided paper, though they may sub single sided with two types also if they choose. I also did the second card with inks and a stripe paper, both cards are very simple. I did two of the one design to show different stamps and one of the other design. I figured my sister will be able to find an inexpensive Happy Birthday, Thank You and flower stamp, even though they are not exactly like mine.

Chicken in with Andy

My son is in Minnesota. I like to send him cards...well more accurately I make him cards but forget to send him them. I do send some, but make more than I actually get in the mail. I'm much better at emailing him, lol. Anyway, he took care of our chickens when he was in high school and didn't like it very much...OK already, he hated it. This chicken card will make him smile. I will remember to send this one!
I made it with the SU retired stamp set, Best of Cluck. I stamped the image on SU Whisper White, and layered it with Basic Grey Infuse Designer papers from a 6x6 pad. (print, red, brown) The base is SU Cranberry Crisp (retired). I used Roseart Colored Pencils to color the chicken, and Holtz Distress Ink to stamp the image. I then colored it, then sponged with Holtz tea dye, then Holtz walnut stain ink. I adhered the image to the red layer, then the brown and print layer together. I added the ribbon and brads to the print layer, the adhered that to the base. Added the image layer, and it was done! Simple, quick, fun. I hope I will be able to get back to stamping more often. I'm optimistic this is two original cards in one day! Well as original as I get anyway...Yippee...

Card for Mother, All About The Bow

My husband wanted a quick card for his mom to send with the gift we'd gotten her. So this is what I did, she likes these colors I think, and hope she likes the card. I used Basic Grey Infuse Papers on an SU Pretty in Pink Base. I layered the print, the brown with the pink for the sentiment over the top. I stamped the sentiment in SU Chocolate Chip. Added the brads, tied the bow, and finished adhering it all together. Trimmed the ribbon and it was done. Isn't this SU Satin Ribbon something?

Sage Joy SC173

This card was made for the Splitcoaststampers Sketch Challenge 173. It is a fun, easy to work with sketch and I'm sure I will reuse it! I worked with SU Western Sky DSP, Sahara Sand, Not Quite Navy and the card base is Blue Bayou. Inks used, Not Quite Navy, Sahara Sand, Sage Shadow, and Old Olive Marker. I also used SU White Grossgrain rubbed on a Sage Shadow ink pad, and SU Hemp. I inked the Polka Dots& Paisley flower stamp with Not Quite Navy and marked the stem and parts of the flower with the old olive marker before stamping. I also used the Sanded Background stamp, lightly inking it with Sage Shadow and laying the small sentiment over it, only pressing at the edges...I wanted a light center. Then I stamped the sentiment, then I sponged it with sage and sahara sand to age it. Then I wrapped the hemp, glued all the layers of the card together, and then added the paisley...which I stamped on a scrap of SU Whisper White, then layered with Sahara Sand, then Not Quite Navy, cutting out with scissors and then distressing. This card made up fairly quickly, under 45 minutes, even with planning time and fussing with what to do.

Changito SCS Sketch Challenge

I used up papers from the scrap pile with this great sketch, and am happy with this Masculine Card for my 19yo son. I used up Navy Ribbon saved from some flowers and added the jute for some casual masculine feel. Easy fun sketch that I will use again!
Stamps used are Lots of Thoughts, Changito by Stampendous
Paper: Old Olive , Night of Navy, Infuse Basic Grey
Ink: Stazon Black
Accessories: Rose Art Pencils, Navy Satin Ribbon, Natural Jute, Crop-A-Dile Eyelet, Tag Punch and Scalloped Punch trimmed after to fit the tag.

Moms Yahoo Group Card Swap Cards

These are the cards I put together for the Swap our email group is doing. I can't wait to see what the other ladies have done. I kept it simple but I am happy with the results. I used Daisy D papers, oval scalloped punch, oval punch, with the Harmony SU stampset and lots of sponging. Added a pretty red chiffon ribbon, some distressing and I was done. The cards are really a soft ruby red, in the picture they appear a much brighter real red, but they are actually quite soft in color. I used Ruby Red and Always Artichoke Green with Shimmery White for the design.

SU Challenge LS161 Why Oh Why?

The challenge today was to use embellishments that you hadn't used before and can't remember why you bought it, or even liked it. I haven't been able to participate in a challenge in so so long, and I was happy to be able to do one again! I used SU Ivory Scalloped Notes for the base, CTMH pink waxy flax , Pink SU brads, SU Ice Brad, Big Pieces Stamp, Much Appreciated as well. I used both the scalloped punch and the large oval punch. And that Pink and Green Polka Dot ribbon is from the dollar table at Micheals if I remember right! I used the Pixie Pink SU Marker to embellish the scallops and lots of sponging with the pink as well. I also distressed the edge of the green oval, I hand cut that one, and distressing it helped it look better! I had fun...and I hope I can jump back into the SU challenges!

Lindsay's Welcome Home Cake for Megan

Lindsay made this cake for Megan when she came home from her LDS Mission. It matched conversation hearts that decorated the cake plate and the tables, along with ribbons and roses. I didn't help at all with this cake, Lindsay made the cake, frosting and fillings, she used my kitchen so I took a picture. It's a lemon cake, lemon frosting and lemon filling...I got to eat the trimmings and wow, it is fabulous! The pictures really does not do justice to the size of this cake, I think it is a 14 inch cake and very very large. It served over sixty. I like it's Springtime appearance, very sunny and happy!