The Last Days of Summer

 

When I moved my craft room upstairs I threw out a box of scrap papers that I hadn’t used in over a year and put half finished cards in it.  My vow is to use up all the half finished products before making a new card.  The fish stamps are from Northwoods Rubber Stamp, the canoeist is The Stamp Pad Co.  The large scene stamp is a set of clear stamps with several stamps and I don’t remember the name.  The sign is a brad from Outlet Brads and says Gone Fishing.  I took the brad part off and used foam tape to adhere it to the card.  I had the three fish on the card so had to come up with a scene to go with it. 

The last couple of days have been very hot.  Yesterday we tied a record set in 1973 of 88 degrees.  Today it wasn’t quite that warm but it was more humid.  Tomorrow it is supposed to be in the 70’s with thunderstorms.  Our county fair is going on this week so we could use some nice weather.

Everytime the phone rings I think it is going to be PJ telling me that Kambrie has been born.  Last Monday when Leola went to the dr she was told she’d probably be born within the week.  Kambrie just wants to be  born in Sept.  Leola and I are holding out for Sept 5 (our 51st wedding anniversary).  Just had an e-mail from Leola and she was feeling just fine. 

I’m really liking my new crafting room and some things I like just where they are and some things I am still tweaking.  I need to go clean up my desk.

I Made It Myself

I saw this card in Stamp It Cards 2008.  The colors are CloverMeadow, Autumn TerraCotta and Chocolate.  Stamp set is Treasures.  Ribbon is Autumn TerraCotta Ribbon Rounds.  And then Dew Drops.  Now for the part I made myself.  The card had a scalloped chipboard.  I had a round chipboard but not scalloped.  At first I tried using a scallop punch but the circle punch I had was too big and didn’t get enough lip.  Then I thought of my Nestabilites and that worked great.  I was able to line up the plain circle and scallop one at the same time. 

Last week we had on the air today we  had on the heat for awhile.  It has been cold and windy but good days to get things done in the house. 

We made out fine at the dermatologist and dentist but the orthopedic surgeon was a different story.  I thought I had a stress fracture but he said I had a Morton’s Neuroma, which is a nerve at the base of my third toe and it gets enlarged.  Very painful.  Got a cortisone shot.  Then he suggested I get some Birkenstock shoes. Only had a few here in town and I really didn’t like the style.  Friday we are going to visit my cousins near Traverse City and there are three shoe stores on the way so maybe I’ll find something if not I’ll order it off the internet.  Then I told him I occasionally had pain in the palm of my hand.  Well I have the beginnings of carpal tunnel.  Oh Joy!

Am still working and rearranging things in my new craft room.  The entertainment center is still there and today I removed Jim’s video’s from two shelves.  I cleaned out a storage cupboard for him down in his man cave. 

Almost bedtime.

Happy Birthday Sam

Got my inspiration for this card from an old copy of CardMakers.  CS colors are Brown Bag, Chocolate and Colonial White.  Ink colors are Pepperwood and New England Ivy.  I am going to be sorry when my Pepperwood ink pad dries up as I use it all the time.  I ordered the moose stamp from an on line company that sold inspirational sayings and there is no name on the stamp.  The trees are from CTMH.  It is one tree that I stamped over and over.  The nature rock is an embellishment I got from our local craft store in a goody bag. 

Sunday will be Sam’s 24th birthday.  We have plans to go out for dinner but don’t know when yet.  Samantha has to work on Sunday.  Sam does too but he gets off at 1.  Ever since he  has been 3 years old he has gotten a Lego Set and a quarter for every year old he is.  The other day I asked him if he was too old for the usual and he replied “Grandma it wouldn’t my birthday if I didn’t get Lego’s.  So this Grandma will buy a set of Lego's.  He has all the Lego’s his Dad had when he was a kid.   He was out yesterday and saw that I had taken down the wildlife poster on the door to his room.  I told him it was my room now and he said “That poster brings back a lot of happy memories”.  I asked him if he wanted it and he said “No”.  I could tell that he didn’t want it thrown in the trash so I told him I would put it in his keepsake box in the basement. And he was pleased with that.   I have two big Rubbermaid containers that I put stuff in for Sam and Leola.  I said to him that the label maker sign that says Sam’s and Granpa’s Room will stay on the door. 

Today we went to the dermatologist.  Jim got zapped a couple of times and I got zapped once.  I wore athletic shoes and I thought the toe box had enough room and I could wiggle my toes.  But when I got there my foot was swollen.  It could be because I didn’t ice it all yesterday.  We got home at 5 and I already  have iced it 3 times.  I read on the internet if you have a stress fracture that you need to ice it every hour for 20 minutes a time.  And I now have on a good pair of sandals. 

Picked up the new CTMH catalog today from our consultant.  Boy do I ever like the new summer colors and the fall paper pack.  I think the name is Olivia. 

I didn’t intend to write a novel but now you know all about me.  LOL

It is time to take the ice off my foot and get something done. 

Penny Black Sticker Card

 

I know my title is pretty lame but I couldn’t think of any other.  It is on CTMH Sorbet.  I used Lime Green Stickles on the veins and stems and yellow stickle on the center of the big flower.  The ribbon is from my stash most likely from JoAnn’s or Wal-Mart.  The happy birthday is a gold sticker that comes in a 5x9 sheet with other words like Happy Anniversary, Congratulations, Good Luck etc.  Have no idea who made it as there isn’t any name and I bought it several years ago. 

Sam and Sam got all moved into their apt. and are enjoying it.  I am enjoying my new crafting room upstairs.  Except for the dark green walls and out door wallpaper border you would never know this room had been a young man’s room for the last 6 years.  I had thought about painting but that would have delayed my moving into the room.  I did do some touch up painting today. I look a window into our backyard.  I have everything how I want it but as I use things might do some changing.  Jim is enjoying his new tv watching area in the basement.  He calls it his” man cave”. 

Next week is jammed with appointments everyday but Monday.  And two of the entail a trip across the Mackinac Bridge.  Tuesday we go to the dermatologist.  Our appt was for the end of September but they last week and asked if we could come Tuesday as the doctor will not be available in Sept.  Wednesday we go to the dentist for teeth cleaning.  Thursday is a  sentencing hearing for one of the guys that stole a bunch of copper pipe from a vacant building across the road.  It has been postponed twice.  And on Friday I go to visit my orthopaedic surgeon and his office is 2 1/2 hours south of here.  In Feb I hurt my foot snowshoeing and went to my regular dr.  He didn’t see any thing and neither did the radiologist and it got better.  In April my foot was bothering me so I went back to my regular dr and he said I had an inflamed  tendon and with rest and ice that got better.  Then we went to a pro ball game with my cousins and I didn’t see a step and wrenched the same foot.  I iced it and rested and a week or so ago I started walking around the driveway.  After several days when nothing hurt I decided to walk a mile and did that for two days and on the third day I could hardly walk.  So now I am going to see the expert.  I looked up my symptoms on the internet and according the information I found there I have a stress fracture.  So we will see.  I am not losing any sleep over it.  LOL

Kathi, you were right on the two girl Sam’s are Samantha but they go by Sam. 

On The Move

The weather here in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has been just great so I have been outside and not doing much stamping.  This card uses the Passages Paper Pack from CTMH.  I cut the stripe paper into a one inch wide strip then I used trial and error to miter the corners.  The stamp is from Stampin’ Up.  I embossed the train in Woven Tapestry from PSX and I just found out the company is no longer in business.    I tore the edges of the Colonial White cardstock and used Walnut distressing ink on the edges.

Sunday is moving day here.  Sam  has lived with us since he was a Senior in high school.  And now he has decided it is time to move on.  He will be sharing an apartment in town with his fiancée and another girl.  All three of them are named Sam.  The minute he is out and I have vacuumed the carpet I am moving my card making stuff to his room.  In a way it is going to be kinda sad as he has had that room for the past 21 years and would come and spend a few days at time with us starting when he was three.  There is still a sign on the door that says Sam and Gramp’s Room.  When Sam wasn’t here Jim used it as a TV room.  After I get all my stuff upstairs, what was my area in the basement will become Jim’s tv room.  Right now he hunches over on a computer chair with earphones plugged in so he can hear the tv.  He is getting a new tv.  Better get to some housekeeping duties.

Summertime

Every summer I put a few water hyacinths in my water gardens and ponds.  This is the first year they bloomed.  I took this one out of the water garden and put it in a clay saucer to take the picture. 

We didn’t get any of the bad storms that were predicted and not even enough rain to cover the bottom of our rain gauge. 

Tomorrow we are going to Traverse City and meet my cousins at the ball game.  It is professional ball, but not major or minor league. Then we are going to their cottage on Crystal Lake for a weekend of swimming and tubing. 

After I cleaned up my mess in my area I sat down to make a card but couldn’t get anything to come together. 

Fun in the Sun

My camera battery was on it’s last leg when I took this photo.  It is now charging.  The images are on white cardstock.  The background for each image is Summer Cloud Blue from CTMH.  The stamps are from various companies and colored with markers. 

Today was a nice hot summer day.  I watered my hanging plants early this morning.  This afternoon when the shade got in the front yard I went out and did some weeding.  Then I bribed Jim to take me out to dinner.  The lawn needed mowing so I said I would mow if he would take me out to dinner.  He usually mows but his gout has been bothering him (not enough to take medicine).  We went out for fish at Wilcox’s Fish house.  The only thing on the menu except for chicken fingers is fish; walleye, perch, herring etc.  We each got the 1/2 pound of perch.  It is a small family run operation. 

Tonight we are supposed to get some severe thunderstorms so I brought my hanging plants under the eaves.  The perennials will most likely get beat down but I can stake them up afterwards.   And it is supposed to be rainy all day tomorrow. 

My card area is a disaster and I only made one card today.

The saga of Me Vs. the Census Taker is over.  He came the other day and I was home alone.  I saw a strange car drive in  so I quickly shut and locked the front door.  He knocked and when I didn’t answer he went around to the back.  He went to his car and was probably noting that no one was home when Jim came home from golfing.  Rats.  We gave them our name, age etc.  When he wanted to know how much Jim got from his Air Force pension and Social Security I told him it was none of his business.  Jim said he didn’t know because the check was automatically deposited.  Some of the questions were how much did we pay in property taxes and how much were our utilities.  We just said we didn’t know.  He can go to the county or township and find out the property taxes.  He got enough info so hopefully he won’t be back.  He even wanted to know how long we had been married.  The guy was polite even when I was giving him a very hard time. 

Well enough of my ranting.  I’m going to go work on a baby afghan.