When Someone Mentions Coffee or Tea

My mother started it. A little snack after school. Then a little afternoon tea. I passed the tradition down to my children. It became a ritual. Every afternoon between the hours of 3-5 (depending on when we walked in the door) the tea kettle was put on and a little cookie or cracker was added. Now coffee has been included. I've also learned to make scones. Add books and music to this and we have all we need. So whenever our family wants to gather together or have a conversation we MUST include coffee or tea. In fact, we cannot gather our thoughts without one or the other.

What a perfect description of our winter this season in West Virginia.

How to Make a Valentine to Remember

Gather your materials: watercolor paper, paint, gesso, stamps, heart punches, scissors, glue, paint brushes, and most important--a scanned picture of your little heart throb.



After cutting out your "little darling" add a couple of wings and paste on watercolor paper painted with red acrylic paint then gesso. Embellish with cut out hearts, stamps, glitter, and a black pen.



After a few "extras" with a digital program, you get a Valentine to remember.
(I saw this idea in the current magazine issue of "Memories" by Stampington Publications.)

When I think of Valentine's Day, I think of pink, red and sugar.




What is it about Cupid's holiday that makes me want to create?

A Card to Welcome a New Baby Girl

Friends of ours are due to have a baby girl soon. I like to make the card to go with the gift. To get some ideas I looked through some of my favorite magazines by Stampington publications. I found a card someone had designed welcoming a baby girl. The template they used for the dress is on http://stampington.com/ Check it out. Look at the left side of the page. Click on the words " tempting templates" then scroll down. You'll find a whole selection of nifty templates. The one I used for the card is called Darling Dress Template.

A Winter Haiku for You

Blinding sunlight
revealing the tree
shadowed by icy snow.

How I Made Our Christmas Postcards for 2008

I started with this photo from a church in West Virginia.



I downloaded the photo into my computer and with the help of photo editing, I changed the image into a black and white pen and ink drawing. Then I tinted the image with various colors of blues and pinks. I printed the photo onto cardstock. Finally I cut out the window panes of the printed image with scissors.




Next, I scanned into my computer, a photo I had taken of the sky. I edited it some to enhance the colors. Then I printed the photo the same size as the window. I cut a transparency sheet the same dimensions as the photo and the black and white tinted window. I put the transparency sheet behind theblack and white tinted window to see where to place a stamped image of the nativity. I stamped the image on the transparency using an embossing stamp pad. Next, I put on black embossing powder, shook off the excess, and heated with a heat gun.



Behind the transparency, I placed the sky photo and voila.



After painting and stamping texture into the black and white tinted photo, I placed it over the stamped transparency, and photo image.

Next, I scanned this image into my computer, worked with the color a little more, and added the words.

Here is the back of the postcard.

Christmas Card for 2008

I haven't had a lot of time to post lately. I am just now getting around to the Christmas card I sent this year to friends and family. To save some pennies, I decided to make my Christmas card a postcard. I really liked the results and they seemed so much easier to send. Just write a short note and add a stamp. No licking envelopes! Pictured above is the front of the postcard I sent.