• TGIF!

    Okay, now I know we are all glad it's FRIDAY! I have my little Friday lunch time routine and I thought I would share it with you today. The peeps I see and the places I go make my day! A little slice of heaven in this workaday world. About a 5 minute drive from the office is my mini oasis in the city.

    First off, there is Newsbeat! Now, this girl LOVES magazines. You might say I'm a magazineaholic! Don't call Dr. Drew on me yet, though. It's all under control. Maybe. Newsbeat is that one of a kind place that doesn't really happen anymore. A good old fashioned news-stand. I love it. The cool chicks that work there are and helpful and kind. There are magazines for miles, and newspapers, and British candy, and cards, and magazines, and magazines…

    3-5-10 001

     

    3-5-10 004 

    3-5-10 005

    My favorite section:

    3-5-10 006 

    3-5-10 007

     

    3-5-10 009 

    3-5-10 010

    The place just has a cool vibe to it…

      3-5-10 011
    Now, as if that wasn't wonderful enough…just two doors down is Luigi's! Which definitely is a little slice of heaven!

    3-5-10 012

     

    This is a great sign!

     3-5-10 013 

    3-5-10 019 

    Are you drooling? Yes, it tastes as good as it looks…

    3-5-10 018 

    3-5-10 021

    And, if you're still hungry, there are brownies. I've never had one, but you never know. They look amazing. Cuz the one thing you need after eating a big ole' slab of pizza is a brownie. Right? Right?  

    3-5-10 024

    And last, but not least, the pickle. Yup, that's a pickle on the corner and he is happy to see me! See him waving? My Friday would not be complete without him.

    3-5-10 025
    Have a wonderful weekend everyone! I'm off to my friend TeaDub's house tomorrow for some stampin' action. The Oscars are on Sunday – red carpet time! Toodles.

  • Sweet Strawberries…

    Okay, so my OBsession with the cute tiny checked paper continues… I made a nice, sweet card using it in red this time. Lovely basket of strawberries image is from Magenta. The saying is from Amuse – another fan favorite! New patterned paper from Cosmo Cricket (I think). I used my Copic markers, of course in three or four shades of brown and gold for the basket and four shades of red and pink for the berries. I had one leftover bee so he could buzz on into the picture.

    IMG_0587

    IMG_0588

    IMG_0590  
    Thanks for stopping by for a looky loo today!

  • Embellish Magazine Challenge – Spring Colors –

    I found a nice challenge on the Embellish Magazine blog – to make a card with some pretty Spring colors - Pink, Peach, Moss Green and Yellow. Here is the idea image:

    VerveCC

    I really like these colors anyway, so this wasn't a hard card to make. I pulled out some pretty Basic Grey patterned paper, and my trusty Martha Stewart Punches! Bazzill cardstock…Here is my card!

    IMG_0572
    Here is the inside:

    IMG_0579

    I punched out the butterflies and then folded them in half. I used a glue pen to glue just the center of the butterfly onto the paper. Then I folded their wings up to make them pop!

    IMG_0576

    IMG_0567 
     Until next time…

  • Sunday Cards!

    Hi everyone! I made some cheery, happy cards for this day. Feels like Spring outside. My hydrangeas are going crazy – there is even one tiny flower already! Love it. After the rain on Friday the air is crisp and clear.

    I am in LOVE with this tiny checked paper! It just seems to go with everything and is a nice patterned neutral – if that makes sense. That checked paper is the common element for these three cards. I also tried to keep it simple and sweet.

    The first card is made with some cute trees that I colored with my Copics. Each tree has three shades of green ink. One is with the Green color family and the other with the Yellow Green color family. I kind of like the contrast and visual interest that gives. The tiny birdies are colored with two shades of blue and then coated with two coats of diamond glaze to make them pop off the trees.

    IMG_0525

    IMG_0527 
     
    The second card is made with this beautiful new stamp I got last week from Stampendous. It reminds me of a California winery with the poppies in the foreground. I also made this my first easel card. I have been admiring others and finally made one! You should try it! Super easy. Directions are on Splitcoast Stampers.

    IMG_0531

    IMG_0537

    IMG_0538 
    IMG_0536

    The third card is made with some Martha Stewart bee/hive stickers I got at Michael's a long time ago. I added glitter glue (diamond stickles) to the wings to jazz them up a bit. I always like black and yellow together for cards. Very striking. Another easel card. Maybe I'm hooked…

    IMG_0539

    IMG_0541 
    IMG_0547

     

    IMG_0540 

    Thanks for buzzzzzzzing by my blog today! 

  • East Coast…West Coast…

    Nothin' crafty going on today…just another day at work. A Friday. And me, with a serious, big time, Olympics hangover. I have stayed up until midnight every night this week. This would be fine, except that I have to wake up at 5:15am and go to work and function like a grown up! (Did I mention I'm not a morning person? I think I did.) I am SO tired right now. Today was a sunny, rainy, windy, day all in one here in Northern California.

    On my way home from work, while stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, I was treated with a beautiful rainbow the entire way. At one point it was even a double rainbow. And me, without my camera. Funny thing is, on the way out of the house this morning I almost grabbed my camera – because the sunrise yesterday morning was so gorgeous. But, then I thought, nah…it's gonna rain. That'll teach me to throw the camera in my purse!

    However, I am always in close contact with my iphone. I took the following pictures while driving down the freeway. NOT recommended! But, hey, I was only going 20 mph. It was just too pretty to pass up!

    Rainbow1

    Here's the other side. I did not find a pot o' gold. Or a leprechaun.

    Rainbow2 
    Earlier today I had received an email from my friend Amy in Pennsylvania. Her world looked like this today! Isn't it beautiful and peaceful? Such a difference from the photos above!

    113_0036
    I absolutely adore this picture of her sweet kitty Ashley sitting in the window. Sets such a mood…

    113_0040

    I often think how amazing technology is these days that you can take a picture 3000 miles away and instantly share it with someone. Or, how you can take a picture with your phone from your car and put it on your internet blog the same afternoon. No more waiting a week for the pictures to come back from the photo lab!

    Talk amongst yourselves. Have a fantabulous weekend!

  • A Happy card for today!

    I LOVE this new line of paper, stickers and rub-ons from American Crafts…It's called Abode. Hot, fun, bright colors and adorable images of books, vases, cups, etc. I used it to make a housewarming card for a friend who just moved into a new apartment. I had fun playing with these colors, because they are not the norm for me. I am addicted to my nestabilities now that I finally figured out the best way to use them with my Cuttlebug. Hope you likey!

    IMG_0430

    Inside:

    IMG_0432

     IMG_0431 
    The finished card is 6×6 square. I wanted to make it a big card to use more of the images from the paper in the background. Toodles…

  • Stamp Show Finds…

    Spent the day on Saturday with my dear friend Caroline at the Rubber Stamp Show in Vallejo. It was a small show, as those things go, but very fun nonetheless. Ran into a lot of stamping friends there and found a few bargains.

    Here is the loot along with the projects I made yesterday:

    IMG_0417
    In the upper left corner is a GIANT clear block to go with the gorgeous new background images from Impression Obsession. Love this! On the upper right are two new Judikins sweet Geisha girls. Lower left is a new funky stamp from Unity. Lower right is a Kodomo stamp from Hanko and a necklace I made using the stamp. So pretty! Also bought the five petal flower punch I've been trying to find for a while.

    Here is the Geisha card…colored with Copics and cut out…layered with Nestabilities…some sparkly shimmer in their hair to make it shiny:

    IMG_0419

    IMG_0422

     IMG_0424

    Here is the necklace that I made using the bird/branch stamp. I used my crop-o-dile to punch a hole and set a large eyelet for the chain. Stamped with Memento Ink and colored with Copics. Sponge the edges with Distress Inks. The edges are super tape with brown metallic foil folded over! Add some bling… and voila!

    IMG_0426 
    IMG_0427_edited-1 

    I hope your week is off to a great start! Enjoy the day!  

  • An Artsy Day in Berkeley!

    Yesterday I spent the day in my second home town…Berkeley. This is where I went to college and where I feel most at home, except for actual home! It's a crazy town full of life and learning and art and beautiful things. I want to share my little artsy day with you!

    There are three must-go-to art stores all right near each other on 4th Street, just off University Avenue.

    My first stop -Dick Blick Art – they have EVERY SINGLE color of Copic Marker….yeah baby…

    IMG_0351

    Next stop – Paper Source – Heaven on earth for this paper lover…

    IMG_0352

    Beautiful window displays with giant paper flowers:

    IMG_0353

    OOOOOHHHHHHH….

    IMG_0355

    AAAAAAHHHHHH….

    IMG_0356

    You never know when you might need a Gnome soap-on-a rope…This is where you could get it! Handmade even! Hahaha.

    IMG_0354

    Next stop is Scrapbook Territory. By far the best overall scrappin' and craftin' place in the entire bay area:

    IMG_0358 

    Owner, and fellow Cal alum, Diane, with store dog #1 Wilbur:

    IMG_0362

    This place is HUGE…and always has the latest and greatest stuff. Good thing I live far away so my shopping is curtailed somewhat.

    IMG_0361

    Awesome ribbon selection:  

    IMG_0360

     IMG_0369 

    IMG_0365

    Here are some gorgeous tree blossoms I found along my way:

    IMG_0378

    IMG_0377

    IMG_0380

    And here is the part where I show you the most amazing, breathtaking, spectacular, gorgeous view of San Francisco that you have from the hill above the football stadium…

    But not on this day! Just some good old fashioned FOG!

    IMG_0390 

    My day ended with dinner with my sweet friend Patty. A perfect day. It's Friday again, and my week off from work flew by in what seemed like a nano second. I did sleep in every day and generally was crafty and lazy. Tonight is stamping with friends and tomorrow is a Rubber Stamp Convention. Enjoy your weekend everyone!  

  • A Trip to Lake Placid!

    One of the places the DH and I went on our honeymoon was Lake Placid, New York. We stayed two nights in this beautiful hotel called the Mirror Lake Inn. It was amazing! The town of Lake Placid is tiny – with just one main street. The famous hockey arena is at the end of the street. I cannot imagine how this town fit all the Olympic athletes and spectators. The town of Lake Placid sits at the rim of Mirror Lake… Lake Placid is actually about 10 minutes away! Go figure?

    We were able to have a tour of the Olympic areas and to watch some ski jumping action. Since we have been home watching the Winter Olympics, I decided to get out our honeymoon pictures and have a look. the pictures are not great and they were taken with this strange thing called film! Anyone remember that? The pics are from early October 2001. Hope you enjoy!

    The entrance to the facilities:

    Img015

    One of the ski jumps:  

    Img016

    One of our Olympians practicing:

    Img017

    Practicing:

    Img018

    Perfect Landing! You can see there's no snow so they practice jumping into a swimming pool. The water is kept moving so they don't hurt themselves hitting a solid mass. Very cool indeed.

    Img019

    We were able to take the chairlift up to the top. The view was absolutely spectacular:

    Img020

    This last shot is for the ladies! This is the official medal podium used in the 1980 Olympics. Seems a lot less fancy than nowadays. This is the guy that we watched jumping. He came over and talked to us about his experiences.

    Img021 
     Wouldn't it be awesome to go to the Olympics one day in person?

  • Happy Valentine’s Day!

    Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you are spending the day in the company of people who love you – spouses, friends, family… Also a good day to watch the Olympics. I have lots of Valentine's stuff to share and I'm sending some blog love your way. Hope you eat too much chocolate today!

    First off…My Furry Valentine…Mr. Buddy looking quite debonair on the craft room counter:

    DSCN1946

    Some cupcake treats I brought to work on Friday:

    IMG_0311 
    I made the little doo dads for the tops from the Stampin' Up "Love Bandit" set and some other VD stamps I had around. Scallop circles, and voila! Cupcake toppers!

    IMG_0312

    A cool Vintag-ey Valentine I found at one of my favorite stores. I thought it was so pretty and old fashioned:

    IMG_0269

    IMG_0271

    And Finally, the last of my Valentine Cards for this year:

    IMG_0265

    IMG_0267

    IMG_0268

    IMG_0273