This card is WOW in person. I was fortunate enough to see a card made by Alesha Walls and simply fell in love with this card. I used the Elements of Style stamp set and our watercolor pencils and blender pens to do the main image. Then I ran the image part of the card through the Big Shot using the Square Lattice Embossing folder and it looks like it's cross-stitched on the card. It was a little time consuming with coloring in the flowers but what a way to relax. It makes me feel like such an artist to color in and then watercolor the images......I am going to design a class all around this technique, it's way too much fun!!!

Surrounded by Red

This once wild Mustang named Rhett, has traveled on an exciting journey with each one of these ladies. As you probably know, my daughter, Amy is in an organization called Westernaires. My niece, Christine (left), Falyn (right) and my daughter, Amy (on Rhett) have all ridden Rhett on their Westernaire teams up to Red Team. Rhett was able to take Christine and Falyn through Red Team and carried Amy to the door of Red Team. The week before his 3rd time through Red Team, Rhett started to limp during a practice run. We immediately took him to the vet. They did the usual x-ray and then had to deliver the news that Rhett has severe arthritis and was not going to finish Red Team with Amy. I am very happy to say that he is still with us today, as beautiful and regal as ever. I know it upsets Rhett when we go get Amy's new horse, Tovin to run Red Team with her. And I can't tell you how much we miss seeing Rhett run, especially in Corkscrew, but we know he's always there with us. I think he's giving Tovin pointers when we're not there because Tovin is starting to run and act quite a bit like our man, Rhett.....

LOL, it's National Joke Day today!

I am totally borrowing this piece from one of my favorite comedians, Jeff Foxwothy.
Since I live in Colorado, I really thought this list was funny. I hope you enjoy!

Colorado!

Jeff Foxworthy on COLORADO:
1. You switch from "Heat" to "A/C" in one day.
2. You know what the "Peoples Republic of Boulder" means.
3. Your sense of direction is: towards the mountains and away from the
mountains.
4. You're a meat-eating vegetarian.
5. The bike on your car is worth more than your car and you have your own
special bike lane
6. You're able to drive 65 miles per hour through 13 feet of snow
during a raging blizzard without even flinching.
7. You take your out-of-town guests to Casa Bonita even though you would
never go there otherwise.
8. You think your major food groups are granola bars, tofu and Fat Tire
Beer.
9. You design your kid's Halloween costumes to fit over a snowsuit.
10. You think that sexy lingerie is wool socks and flannel PJs.
11. You know all 4 seasons "almost winter, winter, still winter and
spring blizzards
12. You've been tear gassed in a riot to celebrate a CU/CSU's victory.
13. You can never figure out why your out-of-town guests faint from
altitude
sickness on a picnic to the mountains.
14. You can drive over a 12,000 foot pass in 4 feet of snow, but can't
get
to work if there are 4 inches of snow.
15. You know the 'correct' pronunciation of Buena Vista.
16. When you visit friends at sea level, you can drink a case of beer and
not get a buzz.
17. Your car insurance costs more than your car.
18. You have surge protectors on every outlet.
19. April showers bring May blizzards.
20. 'Timberline' is someplace you have actually been.
21. You know what a 'Chinook' is
22. You know what a 'Rocky Mountain Oyster' is.
23. You know what a "fourteener" is.
24. But you don't know what a "turn signal" is.
25. A bear on your front porch doesn't bother you nearly as much as a
Democrat in Congress does.
26. Your golf bag has a 9-iron, a 3-wood and a lightning rod.
27. You know who Alfred Packer was and did.
28. You know who Baby Doe Tabor was.
29. SPF 90 is not out of the question.
30. People from out of state breathe 5 times as often as you do.
31. Having a Senator named Nighthorse doesn't seem strange.
32. Thunder has set off your car alarm.
33. A full moon has never kept you awake at night.
34. You have an $800 stereo in your $300 truck.
35. A sudden loss of cabin pressure is not a big deal.
36. You think a red light means 3 more cars can go.
37. Where we're going, we don't need roads!!
38. You know where Doc Holliday's grave is.
39. You know where Buffalo Bill's grave is.
40. You know where the real "South Park" is.
41. You can recognize the license plates of all 50 states on sight.
42. Driving directions usually include 'Go over_________ Pass.'
43. You've done 'checking for ticks'
44. You've dressed in shorts, sandals, and a parka w/ a hood.
45. You've gone snow skiing in July and...
46. You've gone sunbathing in January and...
47. They were in the same year!
48. You've urinated on the Continental Divide just so it could 'run
into both oceans'.
49. And the most important: You get a certain feeling of satisfaction
from
knowing that California and Texas are both downstream.
50. You actually understand these jokes and send them to your Colorado
friends.

I really do love our new stamp set, Notably Ornate. I put this card together using the Big Shot for the polka-dot background, punch for the edge, I did spend a little time cutting out the bird, but all in all, a very easy card. This set lends itself well to black and white contrasting cards. I'm playing with that as we speak, I do wish we had a punch for the more intricate stamps (are you listening, Stampin' Up!???). Since all of our products are designed to coordinate with each other.....
Well, a girl can wish, can't she?

Broken Glass....

This card was made using the "Broken Glass" technique. I took this opportunity to play with one of our newest stencils, some embossing powder, Versa Mark pad and some BLING of course! It was very easy to do and I love the vintage look of this technique. I am totally going to use this on a tag with my next Heritage layout. 

"Treasure" Protector

Penny, my personal guard dog

My dog, Penny, loves it when I get a UPS delivery from Stampin' Up! I think she really loves our new Designer Paper and all of the new accessories!!! Or, maybe it's the awesome stamp sets....the clear mounted ones are her favorites. Wait, what is she telling me? NO WAY, she's only in the protecting business for the dog treats from Dan, the UPS man??? Ahhh, good help is SO hard to find. ; )

Well, I FINALLY got my hands on a piece of our "Simply Adorned" line. I ordered the biggest format which is 1 1/2 X 2 inches. While I do like the incredible amount of space to create in, the actual frame is a little large to wear around as a necklace. I think that size is more fitting as a brooch or it would be WONDERFUL as an ornament, either on a Christmas Tree or on a scrapbook page. I am now ordering the next size down, 1 X 1 1/4 inches. I love the new stamp set, Artistic Etchings for decorating these frames.You gotta check the Simply Adorned line, you will Simply LOVE it!

National "Book Lovers Day" is today!

It's the PERFECT time to grab your favorite book and get a little "me" time in! I do love ANYTHING to do with Colorado History, especially Molly Brown and Baby Doe Tabor. Two incredibly strong and dedicated women that helped put Colorado (Denver in particular) on the map!
Also, I don't know how many of you have read "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott, but that is one of my favorite books of all time. It is very similar to the writings of Jane Austen, another one of my favorites. Those books showcase how much slower things were way back then and how people treated and respected each other. I do find it refreshing that a lot of the good qualities are still present in today's society, but sorry that we as a people, have not been able to overcome the class lines that still exist. I truly believe that we are continually evolving and will become a better world with the help of our children and our continued awareness. Here's to a wonderful future!!