Some Wednesday Card Making from 2 Weeks Ago...Already!!!

Hi there everyone....can you believe it....May is almost over!!! This sure was a tough month on all sides. Physically, financially and emotionally....still trying to come up for air!!!! We had Doctor appointments, a tooth pulled, extra $$$ spent for co-pays and teeth, taxes due on the house, sometimes it seems like I just get done paying a bill and it shows up in my mail box again! How does one keep their emotions at an even keel??? I don't know, have not figured that out yet and here I am...71 years old!!! My mother never told me....everything was always "calm and quiet" by her. Geez....I'm still waiting for calm and quiet days.

Well, probably the only thing that keeps me sane is my card making. At least I can make sense of that. Made these cards 2 weeks ago at Betty's. The top card was interesting. Sponged in the brown, then stamped the trees and embossed. Then colored in the brown with copic markers...stamped the ducks and Thinking of  you. The bird is a die cut. Really nice card, maybe this could be a sympathy card also.

These next two cards....I have always liked these two girls....they come from Stampin'up. Betty got these stamps from www.wish.com for 1 dollar for the set. The only thing different is that the girls are smaller then the original set AND you have to wait 4-6 weeks for the stamps to show up in your mail box. Guess they come on a slow boat from China. They still make for a nice card though. I really like the bottom card the best, the girl and saying are stamped on a grey card stock then white and grey pencil used to color in the girl.

The above card was embossed with a folder, sponged in the blue and then speckles to outline the swirls. The girl was stamped, a second stamped girl was colored and cut and pasted to the original girl....cute huh??

The card below with the birthday mouse was cute...just colored in with copic markers. Sweet and simple.

Now this card.....was not made at Betty's. I have a friend whose birthday was coming up, and found this pug saying and doggie at the Revealing party last month. This is what I came up with for a card for her. She loved it!!! 

The side panel is braided. I had seen this technique a long time ago and wondered how it was made. Finally found the directions to make it myself. Colored in the pug with copic makers, the blue is iridescent blue taped on white card stock, then run through the cuttlebug with a doggie paw print folder.

It has been SO warm here...we go from cold and snow to warm and 90 degrees in about a month....how crazy is that. But I guess I will take this weather change, it's a breeze compared to being in flood areas and volcano areas!! That's for sure!!! So much going on all around the world, such devastation everywhere. Do you think God is trying to get our attention???? He has mine!!!

Well time to close here....need to get something done around the house...like maybe the dishes in the sink. I have some planting to do....a few tomato plants. Got my onions planted, radishes, carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, pepper plant. We did something different this year. I got 2 big planters and dirt. I have one on the drive way, where it will get more sun. The other planter is along side the fence, it should get about 4-6 hours of sun. I don't have to bend down to plant....the ground is not so far away at least!!! I took pictures of the planters...JP and I were putting wheels on the planter in the driveway, so I can roll it around to catch the sun rays....we'll see how that works. Next blog I will show you how my garden is growing.

Have a good evening and keep looking up.....better days are coming, here, there, or in the air!!!! Cheers ~ Louise

A Garden Walk on Saturday - Part 2

Hi there everyone. Lovely day today.....I need to get some things done....have a long list of project to do.....but sometimes have a hard time starting them. In my next post I will list everything I want to do...."my summer to-do list."

Well today is the last of the pictures from the garden walk on Saturday.....in this picture is the lady's Hostas and Gnome garden.....gnomes, gnomes everywhere!!!!

This was a cute gate....it sort of covered up her junk area and made it pleasing to the eyes. It says, "Meet me at the garden gate."

In this picture is the entrance to her lovely garden and another place to sit and rest and drink some iced tea.

Her Begonia garden....I love the red begonia plants, so healthy they look too!! Can you see her red garden furniture? I got to sit at her table and just kind of survey the whole back yard. She said they moved in this house in 1979 and she started with one rock garden near the drive way.....and just sort of spread out over the years......yeah, she had room to roam. I didn't even get pictures of all her gardens. She invited us back in August to see her garden.....will have to do that.

Here is her lovely pool......she has 5 daughters and 10 grand babies....all boys, can you see the tractors on the walk-way????

Here is a picture of her lovely patio furniture......yep, and a nice place to sit and enjoy the summer drink iced tea and reading a good book....don't you think???

This was another garden in front of the house to the side of the garage.....she sure had LOTS of statues and signs to catch the eyes.

Here is her burning bush.....it sort of died out except for a little branch that started to bloom. I liked the effect of this sawed off tree......it can hold all the objects in her garden that need a place to hang out.

Well, I think I will close here....I need to go work out in my garden.....someday, I will have a pretty garden like this, dream on....but right now, I shall just enjoy what I have. You all have a good day and keep looking up. Cheers ~ Louise

A Garden Walk On Saturday

Hi there everyone. Hope you had a wonderful weekend. I did....yes I did. Except for the mosquitoes, the days were perfect, as I sit here typing and scratching those little bites. Was just sitting on the front porch for 10 minutes and they found me!!!!! UGE!!!! I found that spraying some "Salonpas" which relieves pain also works to relieve the itch of the skeeter bites, I will try anything at least once if it helps a bit.

Well, yesterday we went on a "garden walk" of 5 gardens sponsored by the Master Gardeners of Appleton. We went to 3 of the gardens. One garden I did not take pictures. But the last two gardens were absolutely beautiful as you will see....so many great ideas.

In this  picture, I liked the way the plants were planted in old crocks and the cute little water fountain in the front is always such an eye catcher to me. Love the sound of water running.

This is the back of the house and another water fountain....I like that door as a decoration and the ladder to the left has a climbing Clementius....good idea.

Here is another crock with some Hydrangeas growing in it......very pretty. I do have a large crock....but I am not sure I want to use it as a planter as yet.

A garden is not complete without a few homemade signs. "When Heaven falls to Earth - It becomes' a garden" (Not exactly sure what that word is after the saying)

In this picture, is the second garden walk. Look at that beautiful garden, lots of vegies and flowers mixed together. I love all the little walk ways, stones, boards and what all this gardener found to make her garden attractive.

This picture shows her creativeness in using different things to catch the eye, plus the usefulness...this old pot belly stove became a hoe, rake and shovel holder in the middle of her garden.....good idea.

Now this was the center of attraction for me.....her workshop, with all her garden utensils.....gosh, I sure would love a little shop like this for all my stamping stuff. And look at all that work space. There was an upstairs also....it looked like her "get away place to hide."

This is the sign hanging in her shop. "I live in the garden I just sleep in the house"

This sweet little girl's sign says, "God laughs in the Flowers"

And the last sign says,"May all  your weeds be wildflowers"

After going on this walk....now I have lots of projects I would like to do, to add a little sparkle to my garden. I still have my "Freida the Frog" made out of tires to make, a dragon fly, made out of fan blades. I want to paint the old bike downstairs pink or white, paint my daisies on the garden shed and put shutters up.....yeah, so much to do yet. By the time I get everything done....Fall might be here. Well, I hope you liked this little tour of 2 gardens....I still have a few more pictures, so I shall show you them in Part 2 coming in a few days.

Tomorrow I have and eye appointment at 11am. The Doctor is going to talk to me about my options with cataract surgery and probably check my eyes again....I need to ask him just exactly what am I seeing when I have cataracts, I know I am seeing lots of floaters which really irritates me. Sometimes I feel like a bug is flying by and I want to swat it.

Well, you have a great day and keep looking up. Cheers ~ Louise

June is Busting Out!!!

Hi there everyone. How is your new month going so far??? I was hoping to get a post going on June 1st, but had some computer problems....seems my computer got attacked....Geez, did not realize it. Tried uploading some pictures, but to no avail. Finally had to give up.

Today I am back, files are cleaned and got my pictures uploaded, always have some kind of hoop to jump through....such is life!!! Today I thought I would show a few pictures of my house, and garden and flowers around the house.

Here is a picture of my house, we've lived here going on 23 years this July 27th. Where has all that time gone?? There definitely has been lots of changes since we moved here.

A picture of the back part of my yard.....things are just starting to grow and I have lots of work yet to do. Not sure I will put in much of a garden this year. I mostly just want to enjoy the work of my labors and just do fun things around the house. What that is, I do not know as yet.

Another view from the bird houses towards the pond. I am slowly getting some of my garden animals out...they always seem to make the back yard homey.

These are my little flowered crocuses that come up along side the house....as soon as they die off I will be planting some Zinnias along side the house. Big tall Zinnias this year.

This is a cute little Begonia plant I got for JP for his birthday. It is planted in this pot and sitting on the porch.

Walking Kylie around the neighborhood, I passed by this house that had these beautiful purple flox growing outside. The lady was sitting on her front porch...I told her the next time I pass by I am bringing my camera for a picture. I passed by today.....they are almost finished blooming, glad I got the picture when I did. 



This is another picture of a garden I pass by while walking Kylie. I thought it was so intriguing  with the ladder over the garden. The plant growing under the ladder is a tomato plant. I shall be keeping an eye on it as Kylie and I pass by and watch it grow.

Well, time to close here...JP will be home soon and I did not get a chance to get downstairs to make some cards. I have some birthday cards in the process of being made. Take card and keep looking up.
Cheers ~ Louise

Some Pretty Flowers

Hi everyone. Well, I am getting spring fever...am ready to walk outside and enjoy some color instead of this white stuff. How about you???? The following pictures are flowers I found last year on the internet. None of them were in my garden last summer...but who knows, maybe this year.

Saw some pretty potted daisy's at Walmart for $3.88....thought of buying them...but I reframed from the expenditure. Maybe next paycheck.

Not sure what these pretty little blue flowers are....but aren't they the cutest??? Maybe they are called "forget-me-nots"????

Now these cute flowers are cosmos....I tried planting some last year, but they did not show up...must have been old seed or something. Must try again this year.

Did someone say pansies???? Yep...think I will grow some of these this year...they seem pretty happy no matter where you plant them.

I love these flowers....the ones above and below...I think they are some kind of daisy, will have to check out their make in the garden stores. I think I have a few planted in the front yard...maybe that is why I keep gravitating towards them so much.

Here is another one of those lovely daisy like flowers that I will be looking for this summer.

Now in this picture is a lovely rose. Love those roses!!! I have a yellow, white, pink and red rose bush. Maybe this year I will look for a lovely pink rose like this one. Another rose that I may plant, if I can find them....a moss rose, I like the way they spread and they seem to bloom all summer long.

Last but not least another daisy type flower...can you see I am leaning towards these flowers...maybe that is why the daisy's I saw today at Walmart caught my eye. Yep...I guess I will have a few of these in my the garden this year.

Well, time to close and get a few miles on my bike and make a few cards before JP comes home from work. He's having baked potato, fish, salad, fruit. I made some vegie marinara sauce, so I might pour a bit on his fish and potato. I had a potato with the marinara sauce on....oh my it tasted really good!!!

So you all have a great rest of the evening and hope your tomorrow is well with your soul. Talk to you later and keep looking up. Cheers ~ Louise

Yellow and Red Tulips in the Garden

The Star of the Garden!!

Eight yellow Tulips in all their Glory!!!

Nine Red Tulips in all their Glory!!!



As you can see there is lots of work to do, lots of weeds and grass growing....peonies are coming up along with strawberries, mint and lots of blue bells....they mostly look like weeds when they start growing but when they start blooming they are pretty. Not even sure that is their name, but they sure do take over. I have 6 rose bushes growing, they are still covered with leaves. Guess this weekend I will rake the leaves away and see if the roses made it through the long winter. Also planted, Iris's, lavender and mums. There are a few other perenials growing, but again, not sure they made it through the winter.

Here is a front view of the my house....this summer for sure I am staining the porch floor and painting the railings and posts and lattice. I want to get it done before the Clementius starts growing and taking over the right side of the porch. In this picture, you can't see them, but there is orange lillies and hopefully black-eyed susans will make their appearance. I really like spring and looking forward to sitting on the porch enjoying a meal or two.
Well time to close, have to go make JP his dinner and clean up the mess of a leaking roof, this time down the cabinets, had to take the glasses and dishes out....water all over. Just no telling how long that was going on till I noticed all the water on the counters............to get it done right will cost us $3,500 which we don't have. So other than this inconvenience....life is good.
Have a great day tomorrow and keep looking up for your redemption draws nigh.
Cheers ~ Louise

Etsy Tap Dance Tonight.....

Sold a card, sold a card, sold a card!!!! Doin' the Etsy Tap Dance today!!!! Been such a dry spell lately, wondered when the next sale would come. Well today, I renewed a Father's Day card from last year around 11am and by 1:30pm that card sold......YAY!!!!

Spent the evening making more deers for some more Father's day cards. Gosh, if I could find that card in my files, I would download it onto this blog, but it may take awhile. Sooooooo I think I will just make a new card and take a picture and load it up onto this blog at a later date.

Started some seeds today, cucumbers, summer squash, basil, parsley, two kinds of heirloom tomatoes and peppermint zenias. Tomorrow I shall plant some swiss chard and pole beans, have some purple onion bulbs to plant also. This year I am going to put most of my vegie plants in the front of the house as we had so much rain last year that alot of my vegies got drowned out.

Watching American Idol..........I know, I know that's a waste of time, but I just love listening to Scotty sing, he has such a wonderful voice, can hardly wait till he makes a CD.....I shall buy it for sure!!!! So I am hoping he wins!!!!!

Well, I think that is all for today, you all have a great day.........cheers ~ Louise