Pioneer Woman I'm Not...

But I gave it a good effort this afternoon. I have been enjoying Pioneer Woman's various blogs for several months now. She has one called Confessions of a Pioneer Woman, Pioneer Woman Home and Garden, Pioneer Woman Photography and Pioneer Woman Cooks. These are great blogs that will make you laugh out loud and ooooohhh and awwwww over the photographs she shares. She makes it look so easy. I encourage you to check them out and see for yourself, if you've never seen them before.

When I saw this post showing how to make a Caramel Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake, it looked so luscious I had to try it. I thought about making it on Thanksgiving, but the pressure was a little too much to try to pull it off when I've never made anything like this before. So, I attempted to make it today. Here's what I ended up with...

  When you compare mine to the one she made...well, I think it is safe to say, hers looks a little more appetizing. Oh and if you read the step by step and come to the part where she says to trust her on refrigerating it for at least 4 hours...trust her! We just finished up our first slices and it wasn't pretty. Tasted okay, but wasn't pretty to look at.

I've never used a springform pan before. Didn't know what they were used for to be honest, but now I know it's for making cheesecake, among other desserts.

Okay, just so you know, I also don't have one of those fancy Kitchenaid Mixers. Can I just say...if you don't have one, be careful of over spray when you use a regular hand mixer. True confession, I had to change my shirt after I mixed the batter and wipe down the area around my mixing bowl. LOL

Then I had way more of the mixture than would fit in the pan. Did I think to not overfill the pan???? NO! So that is why you see it coming over the top and sinking in the middle...that is a pool of caramel topping, by the way.

We'll just call this an adventure in baking. Like I said, it tasted okay, but I'll bet it will taste a lot better tomorrow! LOL

I don't have any new artwork to share. I'm sorry about that. I had a fight with a skein of yarn last night and the yarn won. So, this morning I continued to try to untangle the skein (which became almost hopelessly tangled when I tried to find the end that you usually pull out of the side of the skein). I have never, ever seen a skein of yarn tangle so much in so little time. But I am happy to say that I got the better of it and now have a ball of yarn that will not tangle while I work on my project. Anyway, I was trying to make up for lost time knitting last night today. I also had to do some of my usual Sunday chores and then there was my adventure in baking. So, I never made it into my corner today. There's always tomorrow....

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you have a great start to the coming week.

Jeanne

Because I'm a Mom...

I went to Michaels on Thanksgiving night to pick up a skein of yarn for Amy's poncho. Yes, Michaels was open from 6-9pm with some early deals. I bypassed all of those, got my yarn, and stood in line. Because I'm a mom I went BACK to Michaels on Black Friday for another skein of yarn because I had about 5 inches left to join and I ran out of yarn. (My husband may like trying to score the doorbuster deals on Friday morning, but I do not). It was worth those two trips to get this: 

(edited to add the picture again...earlier I had to upload the photo a different way because my computer was not cooperating and I kept seeing no picture)

I still have to trim the fringe, but it's otherwise done. And I have to say, I cannot believe how long it took to add that fringe. Cutting the yarn, looping it through and then tightening it evenly took way more time than I thought it would.

Because I was out to get that last skein of yarn (and before you think I don't plan well, I honestly think the type of yarn I bought had less yarn in it than they said-but the color was too nice to pass up) I ended up working on my quest to find the knitting book I have been trying to locate. (maybe I have just a little ocd?) I am happy to report that I was finally successful! And I found a neat yarn shop, with lots of pricey yarns and oodles and oodles of patterns and hand made items on display. It's not too far from where I live, which is nice, but what's even better,  just down the street from this yarn shop is a craft supplies store. To look at it from the outside, you would never guess the treasure trove of items you'll find inside. I had to ask, but I finally found a place that sells those clutches that you use on hat-pins, you know to cover the sharp and pointy end. I've seen a lot of card-makers using the decorated hat-pins through the ribbon to add an elegant touch to the card. Having to get that last skein of yarn worked out really well in the end!

Thanks for stopping by. It snowed overnight (looks lovely, but it's cold out) and I don't plan on going out until later this afternoon when the girls and I have a playdate with their friends, Hattie and John. I want to see if I can figure out this cast on  and get started on another project.

I may end up in my little corner at some point this weekend, too.

Jeanne

Scenes from the Day...

Well, by now you have stuffed yourself (but not too much) and are catching up on your reading. I got dinner together and declared the rest of the family could clean it up. It was yummy good if I do say so myself.

But look at this:

It happened...it finally happened! Amy's tooth has been loose for so long, I wasn't sure if it would come out before the permanent tooth grew in. The girls had a dental appointment (for 6 month cleaning) yesterday morning and I was hoping it'd be out so the dentist could oooh and ahhh over it. The stubborn tooth didn't cooperate. However, the hygienist had a good giggle while cleaning the wiggly tooth and the other one on the bottom that will probably be out before the weekend is up. (The tooth fairy may have to park in our neighborhood soon). I was washing some dishes this afternoon before the big cook-fest and Amy hollered from the couch that it just popped out. She was wiggling it per the dentist's instructions. If you enlarge the photo, you can see the permanent tooth has started to pop through. She had quite the fun time eating her meal with that big ol' gap!

Have to show off my turkey on my brand spanking new platter courtesy of Steve.

  We pulled over the girls little table to hold the food that doesn't fit on our table. We don't have a dining room and have to use a smallish table to eat off of on the side of our kitchen. The only thing missing from this shot is the green bean casserole that I had warming in the oven. Oh that gravy boat? Also new. Thanks, hunny!

 

 

Aren't these two just adorable? Of course I am biased, but how could you not be thankful when you have these two characters running around?

 

 

 

 

Steve and Jessica relaxing after the big meal.  Oh and you can see the bottom band of the poncho that  I got done today.  And here you can see what Amy worked on. I wanted her to model my progress and she wanted to wear the hat she made while she did so.

 

 

And last, but not least...let the holiday season begin...

Steve took the girls out for a shopping trip this afternoon. This is one of the things they came home with. Aren't they cute??

 

 

 

I have so much to be thankful for with all these blessings!

Thanks for stopping by. I'm off to crochet some more.

Jeanne

Thankful for...

so many blessings in my life. Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends! For those outside the US, the fourth Thursday of November is a national holiday for us to remember our blessings. While we should be grateful for all of our blessings each and every day, it is nice to have a day where we consciously celebrate them.

I'm thankful for oh so many things...my family, my health, my friends, my home. I'm thankful for the internet...which is a beautiful thing when you are searching for answers, wanting to connect with friends, looking for inspiration.

I've been away from the computer for a few days while I work on this new project:

It's for this blessing in my life (who has just about wiggled that upper right tooth out and who asked to model this for the picture): 

 

This is the beginning of the crocheted poncho I am working on. I am so much more comfortable crocheting. But the other night I was stumped. Again, I haven't crocheted in years and haven't done granny squares in so long I forgot how to join them. I sat on my couch and tried and tried to follow the directions on how to "join as you go" and it just wasn't coming out right. I knew there was one tiny detail (but a very important one) I wasn't quite getting. I went to bed frustrated about it and lamented the fact that my mom isn't here to show me. The next morning I woke up and literally smacked my forehead...if you can look up knitting subjects on the internet, surely there are crochet helpers. So I Googled what I needed and in less than 5 minutes I figured out my problem and was on my way. I literally thought...the internet is a beautiful thing! LOL

So, I am busy working on this. And I am planning a new knitting project...thanks to the internet as well. I saw some beautiful neckwarmers knitted by a blogger and got it into my head that I wanted to try the technique for a Christmas gift or two (hopefully). I contacted the blogger and she very kindly responded with the name of a book that would help me. Well, wouldn't you know...the book is not in stock any where around here and I've spent a good portion of my time looking (on the internet and by calling). But doing some sleuthing brought me to a link or two that were very helpful. I just needed the right length of needles. So began my quest yesterday to find the right length/size of needles (the girls were off from school and Steve off from work). And I have. It took a while, but I was a woman on a mission. When I get something into my head...I can be like a dog with a bone, working on it until I'm satisfied. LOL Knowing I had a long weekend ahead...I didn't want to have to order them and wait for them to arrive sometime in the next week or so.

So, I am thankful for the internet and google and email and blogging. To think, not too many years ago I was completely uninterested in the internet. I mean completely.

I'm thankful for you who read this blog, whether you comment or not. I'm thankful for the ability to share and hope it brings a smile to your face.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jeanne

Thanksgiving Cards

Talk about the shoemaker's children having no shoes...I just made my first Thanksgiving cards today! (hanging head in shame) If intentions were actions, I'd have a bunch in the mail, but they are not. These two that I made today are for the girls' teachers.

 

 

 

 

 

The pumpkins are from a Hero Arts stamp set called, appropriately, Happy Thanksgiving. I colored in the single pumpkin using my Bic Mark-it and Sharpie markers. I added a little sparkle with a Twinklette pen in orange. The pattern paper on both cards is from DCWV's Fall matstack. I clear embossed the pumpkin but first inking it in Versamark, then in Chocolate ink (CTMH) I discovered Cocoa turns green when you heat it! I picked up some gold bead caps and discovered the smaller ones in the package cannot be flattened easily. But by adding a small pop dot and a glue dot, you can attach them easily. I added a little jewel on top with a mini glue dot.

The second card is paper pieced with dp from the same paper pack. I pop dotted the middle one to give it a little dimension. My inspiration for this card is this one on the Verve Gallery. While there isn't room for a sentiment...I think it looks fine as is. I think the cards are pretty self explanatory.

Note for Alanna...the Michaels I talked about is off I-76 at 144th (St./Ave.) You can see it from the interstate.

I think that's it for today! Thanks for stopping by...I am off to hopefully finish Jessica's poncho! And believe it or not, I have started a crocheted one for Amy. I'm really enjoying working with yarn right now.

Jeanne

A Couple of Purses & Possible Enabler Alert

Happy Sunday to you! The Broncos aren't too happy as they are lost to the Raiders today. Blech.

Thanks for the encouraging comments on my card attempts yesterday. I know you are thinking I am being too hard on myself, but I neglected to tell you just how many times I had to take the first tree card apart to get it to look right! I think all the work on it for what should have come together quickly definitely affected my feelings about it. And on the second card, I forgot to mention the stamp I used. It's from a Hero Arts set called Merry Christmas and I got it from Archiver's. It came with the rhinestones I used on the other card and is supposed to be exclusive to Archiver's. But maybe that's just because of it being packaged with the rhinestones. I stamped it in White Daisy Pigment ink from CTMH. The jewels are from Hobby Lobby and the cardstock is New England Ivy.

With that out of the way...on to what I was able to create today. I saw a purse on a blog (but forgot to note which blog...which is unlike me) that was really cute. The post linked to the Scor-Pal website for a tutorial on how to make the clutch & purse and since I want to give the girls' teachers a little something for Thanksgiving, that's what I decided to work on this afternoon. You can find the tutorial here and if you want to print it off, read all the way to the end of the next page for a PDF file. I didn't know there was one and spent too much time trying to copy and paste the tutorial onto a Word document before seeing it! (Just trying to save you a little time & frustration if you decide you want to make these). Anyway...here are the results of my efforts this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the record, I'm quite pleased with how these came out!

The blue clutch uses paper from Heidi Grace...the Winnefred set, I think. The body of the clutch is cardstock and I added some shimmery dp from the same set on the front flap. I had a matching adhesive backed chipboard circle. On top of the circle is a button I picked up at Joann's today. In fact, the paper is currently available at Joann's as well. For the button, I clipped off the shaft and attached it with a glue dot. The ribbon is from my stash...I think I got it at Michaels. The striped purse uses some Making Memories dp I picked up at Michaels a long time ago. I think I found the cardstock there, too. The pink round "gems" are also buttons I picked up at Joann's today. Again, I cut the shaft off and attached with a glue dot. The corners are a die cut from that Vintage Cuttlebug set. It's actually a square, but I cut it in half and trimmed a couple of "strays" off from that cut. The top of the flap is punched using a Martha Stewart Spiral Lattice border punch and I added the ribbon from Walmart for some interest. I took the second picture with me holding up the ribbon strap (from Michaels). I suppose I could use something to stiffen the ribbon up and I may do that, but I wanted to show you what I made.

This may end up being a long post because I want to share a couple of things with you all. I took a little road trip to a nearby city east of where I live. I was wandering the bead/jewelry aisle at my local Michaels Friday night...taking a kid break to be honest, when a lady approached me and asked if I'd been to the new store in Brighton. I hadn't, since this Michaels is so close. She told me the new store is a concept store, one of only two in the nation. She said they had a huge scrapbooking area as well as a bead/jewelry area that was to die for. Well, that piqued my interest, so I headed over yesterday morning. WOW! I was impressed! The way they have it set up is very different and almost feels more open. There were tons of open stock single sheets sb papers I hadn't seen at a Michaels before with names I both recognized and some that were new to me, more clear stamps (although I'd seen a lot of them before) and lots of fun stuff set up in little sections, like holiday, girls, boys, babies. Remember that Basic Grey butterfly stamp I picked up in Fort Collins a few weeks ago? Well, some other Basic Grey stamp sets along the same lines are being sold there! I picked up a couple. The bead/jewelry section is very different. They actually have open stock beads/jewels that you can buy individually, like you can at a bead store. You are encouraged to take a black velvet backed acrylic tray so that you can get an idea of how things would look together.  You put the open stock beads in a little baggie and mark the numbers on a paper they have available. The department was set up in a U shape with items along each wall, and the open stock items in the middle. You can even make your purchase right there if you want! I think my friend Felicia would be in bead heaven there. (wink, wink). Oh and the kids craft section is fantastic as well. Lots of crafty goodness there! There was a gal setting up for a demo/class and she had a couple of takers before I left. I spent over an hour between those departments just wandering around-I didn't really check the rest of the store, though. (Becky, I think you should head over there one day if you haven't already...I think you'll like the sb area)!

So there's that enabler alert for any local readers. Here's another one. I have mentioned a few times how much I admire Becca Feeken's artwork. Some of the things that really strike me about what she creates are the little details. I noticed some items she listed as brads that were so different from any other brad I have seen and I emailed her to ask where she got them. Well, it turns out they aren't brads at all, but some items she found on clearance at Michaels...earlier this year they carried a line where you could decorate your own bangles. I remember passing this end cap many time without really looking at it. The items I thought were brads were from this line. Of course, I looked to see if I could find any and I was unsuccessful. But, even though I haven't found those I decided to check out the button aisle at the Joann's I frequent to see if they had any smaller buttons I could use to mimic brads. I had a blast! There are many buttons that are so pretty and they don't necessarily look like buttons. You can see a couple of my purchases in the purses above. So, I encourage you to check out buttons as a decorative item for your card-making. I hemmed and hawed a long time before buying a tool to snip off the button shaft, but awhile ago I decided to go for it. I am so glad I did! It makes it so easy to snip off the loop. You can sand any edges down if you want/need to. You can find the snipping tool in the button aisle at Joann's, and probably the same type of aisle at Michaels/Hobby Lobby or your local craft store.

Well, thanks for reading if you got this far! I hope you have an awesome beginning to your week...it'll be a short work one with the holiday coming up, right?

Jeanne

 

Not Quite What I Envisioned...

It's too bad that talent can't jump from the computer into my body. I have recently become a big time admirer of Becca Feeken's work on Amazing Paper Grace. Today I attempted to make a couple of cards utilizing some of the ideas/cards she has made. My attempts didn't come out quite like I envisioned, but what can one do when one's talent isn't as great?

My first card was completely inspired by this one by Becca. I think I did okay until I realized I didn't have rhinestones the right size. So, I mixed using what I did have and adding some Red Stickles. The result is so-so. Guess what...after I set this card aside to dry and was working on the second card...I found the red rhinestones in different sizes that I thought I had. They were in where I keep all my rhinestones, I just missed seeing them. Poo!

The card is 5x7 in size and after embossing the tree (Cuttlebug embossing folder) on Colonial White cardstock.I chalked it with  Sweet Leaf chalk. I matted it with New England Ivy cardstock and placed it on Holiday Red (all CTMH products). The ribbon is from Michaels and the border is punched with a Fiskars border punch. I die cut the vintage corners in Holiday Red, using the Cuttlebug.

My second card shows my attempt at making the rectangular frame that Becca showed how to make on her blog. I got the frame part okay and liked it, until I added all those jewels (with glue dots). My thought was to make the card some what country/primitive. I missed the mark...oh well!

This is a standard sized card (4 1/4x5 1/2) and may have been better suited to a larger size. As it is, I don't have any place for ribbon or a sentiment. And, while I thought the white would look good, but...not so much.

Ahh well...such is life. Sometimes what you think it will end up looking like and what it does look like are completely different! I do think the frame looks neat and I'll be trying that again!

I haven't posted in a few days because I've been spending a lot of my time working on Jessica's poncho and no, it's not done yet. One would think that making a second one would go more quickly or smoothly and it's been the complete opposite! I've had to take the thing apart so many times I've lost count. But I think I've got it worked out and hopefully will not have to pull it apart again. I've also realized I made more mistakes on Amy's than I first realized! Oh well...I'll share whenever it gets finished!

Thanks for stopping by...hope your weekend is going well so far!

Jeanne

Snowflakes-a-Plenty Card

Happy Wednesday to you! Well, the official high temp yesterday was 78, which definitely broke the old record high of 74. Today it's in the upper 60s and still gorgeous. Lest you feel it isn't fair...tomorrow they are predicting temps in the 30s! Yes, you read that right, there is a cold front that is supposed to come through starting tonight. I told you we would pay for this beautiful weather and tomorrow's payback day. LOL

In anticipation of the brrrrrr that's a coming, I decided to make a snowflake card based on a sponging technique I saw a while ago on the Poetic Artistry blog (click link to go to card). I thought this card was SO striking! Maybe it's the pink that appeals to me. In any case, I tried it today using Baby Pink, Blush and Hollyhock inks (CTMH). I did the sponging first, then ran the cardstock through the snowflake embossing folder in the Cuttlebug. The only other thing I can think of to mention is I used the silver version of the sparkly gold I used on a previous card. Yep, I went back to Michaels and picked up the Stardust (transparent) ep by Stampendous. I inked the snowflake in Versamark first, then the color and added the ep and heat set it. I don't think you can see it very well though. If you click on the image maybe you can see it better.

I have two versions to show you because I'm not sure about the one with the white leaves. I think the white is too stark. Maybe I should punch the leaves in the respective cardstock colors? Whatever...here's what I made.

While the white looks too stark to me, the one without the leaves looks a bit dark, don't you think? ergghhh...now I am second guessing myself. Plus the card looks way better in person, I think!

Stuff I Used:
Stamp: Snowflakes a Plenty (Inkadinkado)
Paper: Grey Wool, Hollyhock, White (CTMH)
Inks: Baby Pink, Blush, Hollyhock (CTMH), Versamark (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Ribbon (from stash), jewel (Hobby Lobby), Cotton Candy Stickles, Stardust (transparent) embossing powder (Stampendous)
Tools: Cuttlebug, Snowflakes embossing folder, Nestabilities, heat gun, sponges

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you are comfy and cozy in your neck of the woods.

Jeanne

Triangle Fold Medallion Card

Happy Tuesday! The weather today is expected to get into the 70s and possibly break a record for high temperatures at this time of year! It's gorgeous right now and so hard to believe it is November and Thanksgiving is next week! But, we'll pay for it somehow some way. LOL It really reminds me of growing up in Southern California  and the Santa Ana conditions (my thoughts are with those suffering due to the wildfires-something I truly don't miss being around). My dad is fine, although his pool is black from the ash and he says you can smell the smoke. I'm hoping my friend Kelly and her parents are doing okay...there's a fire raging not far from where they live. Scary times for sure.

I decided to take a quick break from knitting and work on a card today. This is after I rounded up all the trash for trash day, ran to Wally World for a couple of things, took Steve's car to get an oil change (he car pools), and picked up some dog and cat food at the pet store, all before taking Jessica to school. I think I earned some time to create, no?  LOL

Anyway, there were some cards in my Reader today that really stood out to me using a technique called Triangle Fold Medallion. I wanted to see if I could make one. This card by Amy Sheffer of the Pickled Paper Designs blog I really liked and I used it as my inspiration. Here's what I came up with:

You can click on it to make it larger to see it better if you like. I tried following the tutorial you can find on Splitcoaststampers, but I just wasn't getting it. I then looked again at Amy's card and figured it out from her medallion.

I used papers from my Basic Grey Ambrosia paper pack. I thought at first you needed double-sided paper, but you don't. You can make it using one pattern design or several. The red, yellow and pattern paper is from the paper pack and the Grey Wool is from CTMH. The black is textured from Hobby Lobby and the white is from my stash. I don't know if it is CTMH or some cardstock I bought at Walmart. As you can see I used my Nestabilities to get the scallop circles. The tag is made from a die for my Cuttlebug that I have had forever (or since very soon after I got the machine) I used an oval Nestability to mat the tag. The rest is self explanatory I think. Oh and the card is 5 x 7 in size.

I like how it came out and think it's a fun technique to do. You might want to try it yourself.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are doing well in your neck of the woods.

Jeanne

PS-Anyone who uses Windows Live Writer...do you know how to format it so you can type single spaced? I can't seem to find a way to do that. It bugs me that my supply credits take up so much space.

Stuff I Used:

Stamp: On My Mind (CTMH booking set) "thinking of you"
Paper: Ambrosia (Basic Grey), Textured Black (Hobby Lobby), Grey Wool(CTMH)
Accessories: Bead Cap flattened (Michaels), jewel (Hobby Lobby), ribbon (Papertrey Ink)
Tools: Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, embossing folder, tag die, bone folder, glue dots, circle punches

Finished!

Well, it's done. I'm not sure I personally like it (because the neck doesn't look quite right to me), but Amy is happy and I guess that is what matters, right? Jessica wanted to snuggle for a while this morning and that allowed me the time to finish the hood. Then I was looking for my needle case (for a yarn needle) and couldn't find it. I finally did and finished sewing the two pieces together earlier this evening. Here's the final result.

  Sorry for the less than stellar photos...this is what I get for trying to take photos at night and after swim lessons where Amy's hair hasn't been brushed, I guess. Anyway you can get a decent idea of what it looks like.

I started on Jessica's using a different type of yarn, one that feels like suede. I got a few rounds done and noticed the stitches didn't look right, so I pulled it all out and will start again tomorrow (maybe). She says she wants one with a hood, too.

Being Monday, I worked on cleaning up this morning. Didn't get as far as I'd hoped(since Jessica wanted me to hang out with her), but managed to cross an item or two off my "to-do" list.

We just started a new swim lesson session. I switched the days so that Jessica can join a Daisy troop. The girls are back to Amy's class starting first and Jessica's  half an hour later. And this time both girls have the same instructor. She's a great one...she really gives the kids a workout and stresses good form and follow through.

I think that's it for today. One of these days I will get back to making cards &/or layouts, I promise! Thanks for stopping by!

Jeanne

Making Progress!

Well, I never did get any paper projects done, or digi projects for that matter. Amy has been so excited about this poncho that I've felt compelled to work on it most of the weekend. Thank goodness for Google and the internet, because when I haven't known how to do a stitch or instruction, I have just typed it in and have gotten several great tutorials on how to complete the step. Here's how far I've gotten.

The body or poncho portion is done and I'm now working on the hood. Considering I've never worked on circular needles I think this is pretty good progress. LOL I thought the body was too short, but Amy tried it on this morning and said it was fine.

 

Amy's Brownie troop had a field trip to a local youth theater production of Wild West Wagon this afternoon. I decided for this one she could go "on her own," meaning neither Steve nor I accompanied her. She had a good time, but said the guns were LOUD. After the performance, the girls got to take a tour backstage and also talk with the actors and ask any questions they had. Jessica and I got to participate in this part as the play ran longer than they thought and we were hanging around waiting to pick her up. I learned a few things and thought it was a rather neat experience for the girls.

Not much else to report though...so I'll say thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a great week full of success and fun.

Jeanne

New Project in the Works...

And I'm as surprised about it as anyone. Remember the whole mouse in the closet deal last weekend? When I thought he was on the top shelf? Steve took down 4 boxes of "stuff" I had stored up there and nosy curious girl that she is, Amy started rummaging through them. She came across my drill team uniform from high school and some handcrafted items that were made by my mom. One of these items was a poncho my mom made me when I was in elementary school. I was excited to see it again and I excited told Amy to try it on. She was tickled and I was all set to let her wear it when I noticed the fringe falling off in clumps. I immediately took it back.

Then I felt bad that I offered her a poncho and took it back in a matter of minutes. On Tuesday, when the girls were out of school Amy wanted to go to Joann's and the Dollar store, something she doesn't often get to do, being in school all day. While there we wandered down the yarn aisle and found pattern book on kid sized ponchos.

And well...I'm sure by now you know where this is going, right?? Behold my latest project:

Amy was completely over the moon about this poncho with a hood (her emphasis)! And yes, well, Mommy caved. You'll notice I'm not doing stripes like in the picture, mainly because I didn't see good coordinating colors in the bulky yarn. This purple is sort of variegated, which looks pretty and Amy likes it.

I know how to knit...my mom taught me how to knit and crochet when I was a girl, but I haven't done either in a while...like more than 6 years ago (when I was pregnant with Jessica). But, I was willing to give it a go. Then I saw I needed circular needles. Um...haven't ever used those, but what the heck. What the heck was I thinking is more like it!  It has taken me a few days to get this far, which is only 7 or 8 rounds. Why? Because I've never worked with circular needles and I haven't been knitting, so I was relearning how to do the stitches in addition to figuring out how to work these needles. Oh and I'm working with a wavy, bulky yarn, so I couldn't figure out at first where the stitches were. This morning I was so excited because it was all flowing back to me when I realized I somehow twisted the piece at one point and had I continued Amy would never have a smooth laying poncho. So, I had to pull it out  for the oh...fifth time, I think? BUT...I am persevering and I'm now just about at the same point I was at this morning when I had to pull it all apart again, and it's not twisted, so I think I am good to go.

And because I've been so focused on this the past few days, I've not been working on my class or any cards.

I thought I should pop in here to let you know I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, just got sidetracked for a bit.

 

Thanks for stopping by...I'm sure I'll take a break from this and when I do, I'll be sure to share. In the meantime hope you have a great start to your weekend!

Jeanne

Stories In Hand class has begun!

Oh my goodness! Jessica Sprague is truly amazing. I signed up for her newest class called Stories In Hand and it started yesterday. I wasn't too sure just what we'd be doing and I'm still not. Right now we are just assembling our book. But if the book is any indication at all, this promises to be truly amazing! I just got done printing off pages and pages of "sparks" as she is calling them and in glancing at them, I could be telling stories for years!

Here are some pictures to give you an inkling...this is a work in progress and I haven't completely finished the book/album yet, but it will give you an idea.

Here you can see what I printed off and started yesterday. First is the album, then the pages are the divider pages that I need to assemble. The paisley paper will be the back cover.

 

 

Here is a shot of the album. It's pretty plain, but maybe I can dress it up a bit more. You should see some of the examples in the Gallery for the class. Wowzers! I'm using a Bo-Bunny 6x6 Naked Binder and have to adjust some things to fit better.

 

 

 

  This is a shot of what I printed off this morning! It may not look like much but each of those stacks is 15 sheets or 30 pages long and of "sparks" or questions designed to spark your memory and thoughts. Then there is a blank checklist for stories to tell, I think. I don't know for sure yet, as we're only assembling today.

 

Just looking at this has got me all excited! The girls are off of school today...so maybe they'll play well together and give me time to work on assembling!

Thanks for stopping by. I'm excited about the possibilities of this project and just had to share.

Glittery Snowflake Card

After realizing just how wonderful that Jeweled Gold ep is, I set out to make a snowflake card. I was inspired to do this by the third card in this post made by Kathi. Her card reminded me I hadn't tested the Cuttlebug snowflake die I bought last month.

I cut out 4 snowflakes because the scrap I used had enough room for four. Remembering that my previous attempt to just add the Versamark and gold ep didn't work too well, and knowing I wanted to make a snowflake that looked different than the usual I decided to see what it would look like if I sponged a snowflake with Cosmic Copper ink by Tsukineko and added the Jeweled Gold ep. I LOVED how it came out. I ended up coloring another one so that I could attach it in the center of the cut out circle with clear thread. Actually I had to color a third one because you need to be sure to color on the correct side if you are going to put them back to back.

I used my circle Nestabilities to first cut the circle out of the card front. Then I used the same die nested in the next larger die to cut out the "border."  I taped them down to be sure the dies didn't shift around when going thru the machine. I sponged the border circle with the Cosmic Copper ink and used clear embossing powder so it looked a little different than the snowflake and set it aside. I ran the card front thru the Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots embossing folder.

To attach the snowflake (sorry I didn't think to take pictures...hope my explanation helps) I ran adhesive the length of each "leg" of the snowflake. I went from the top to the bottom going thru the center. I carefully placed a length of clear thread across each "leg" (I don't know what the correct term would be) from top to bottom going thru the center and allowing the excess to extend beyond the snowflake. I added adhesive on the other snowflake to be sure the two would stick together and pressed them together sandwiching the clear thread between them. Then I got some photo splits and cut them down to narrow strips so that I could attach the thread onto the card front, being careful to keep within the 1/4 inch border that would cover the photo splits. I attached the top one first, went down to the bottom one to help keep the snowflake centered and worked my way around. Then I ran adhesive along the whole circle border and attached it on top of the thread. I cut off any excess thread extending beyond the border.

After I attached the snowflake I felt it needed a little something and I decided to add the coppery looking brad (from Hobby Lobby-Spare Parts, I think-I threw the packaging away). Using wire cutters, I cut off the prongs and attached it with a glue dot.

Then came the sentiment, which ended up being stamped with Versamark and embossed with Copper ep. I say ended up because my first attempt at the sentiment didn't work out so well and I had to cover it up. A couple of attempts later, this is what it ended up looking like. LOL

Can you imagine...with all the embossing attempts I made today...what my jeans, desk, and floor look like? Yep, I am all glitter-fied! LOL But oh so worth it, don't you think?

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I had hoped to make another card today, but my creative time was interrupted by having to clean out our bedroom closet. We've had a mouse in the house for a few weeks now and our cat and dog are definitely not "mousers." Well, Steve saw the little critter in our closet the other day and set a trap. He wanted me to clean out the closet in an attempt to see why the mouse was in there. I forgot to do it the other day, so I stopped what I was doing to get it done. He took off to the store with the girls and I gingerly used the broom to pull out the shoes. It was quiet...and all of a sudden I heard noises that definitely sounded like the mouse moving around. Except to me it sounded like he was on the top shelf! Not wanting to come face to face with the thing, I closed the closet doors and shoved the shoes under the bottom opening and waited for Steve to get home to look for the mouse. He didn't believe me that the mouse was on the shelf and proceeded to pull off all the items up there. No mouse. I felt sort of silly being freaked out by the noise and got back to work cleaning out the floor on the other side of the closet. I started to move a box that holds my foot massager and I saw him scamper across the floor. I'm sorry to have to admit to letting out a loud scream when I saw him! Yes, I am a girl. Anyway, I yelled for Steve and he inspected the closet. It turns out we have a hole (that Steve cut out) in the back of the closet and that little sucker jumped through the hole, which is at least 5 inches from the floor! The hole wasn't small, just higher than I thought a mouse could jump. Steve said he saw it in the dead space behind the closet and covered up the hole. I'm happy to know he can't get back into the house, but am leery of him staying there, if you know what I mean. I hope this is the only mouse in our house...but will keep the traps out (the no view kind because I know what happens when we use the old fashioned kind-I get all girly and do the icky girly dance on my tippy toes-complete with ew, ew, ew squeals) for the time being...

And that episode led to clearing out some clothes by Steve that he no longer wanted, cleaning the floor and taking the unwanted items to the Goodwill so that they were gone before he could change his mind! When I got back from that I was able to make the snowflake card.

Whew...sorry this got so long! But I felt the need for full disclosure on why I couldn't get a third card made today. LOL  I hope you are giggling at my expense...because it is rather funny to be so girly over a mouse that is more afraid of me than I am of him.

Hope you have a great week!

Jeanne

Glittery Christmas Tree Card

Remember yesterday when I realized I didn't own any gold embossing powder or ribbon? Well, that has changed!  When I was out doing my grocery shopping, Wal-Mart was out of a few things I needed, so gosh darn it, I had to head over to Target and since Michaels is right next door...LOL I also had a 50% off coupon burning a hole in my wallet...

Here's what I made with the items I purchased today:

Oh my goodness, I am so excited about this embossing powder by Stampendous! It's called Jeweled Gold (transparent). I took a chance on it over an opaque gold ep and I'm so glad I did! I love how sparkly it is! I stamped the tree with Versamark ink and added the embossing powder and heat set it.

You may also notice some photo corners...I used my coupon on these Vintage dies from Cuttlebug. I've hemmed and hawed about getting this set of four dies for a long time and I figured I wouldn't do better than 50% off. I had overlooked this set for a long time, too, but recently have seen cards using this particular die and I just love the look. I am happy to have finally added them to my stash.  I cut the corners with the gold cardstock I used in my previous card and adhered them using a quickie glue pen. I wanted to add a little something more and futzed around, adding a gold glitter pen and cutting that off and then adding just a line of the gold glitter pen. Before I cut the corners with the gold cs, I tried using white paper and wanted to use the ep on them, but try as I might...I couldn't get it to cover properly. But I had a few white corners sitting on my desk. I tried adding them but didn't like it. Then I noticed the cut away scroll looking piece from the die. I thought they looked cool, so I attached them using the same glue pen. Neat, huh?

The card looked like it still needed something. And I got the bright idea to add the strip of gold around the the edge of the card. I tried to cut them to mitered corners, but that didn't work out well, so I fudged the corners and decided it looked pretty darn good if I do say so myself.

The ribbon is from the holiday ribbon aisle and was on sale for 50% off! Whoo hooo! Love how it looks.

It took time to get this card done, but oh boy, I do think it was worth the effort.

Wait until you see the other card I made today....that's coming up in a separate post because this one is long enough!

Jeanne

A Different Kind of Tag

The other day I was tagged by Angela of the My Pixelated Oasis blog. I love to visit her blog, not only for the outstanding photos she shares, but she has got a great writing style and sense of humor.

Here are the rules of the tag:
1. Get the book on your nightstand (or whatever book you are currently reading).
2. Open it to page 56 and find the 5th sentence.
3. Post the next couple of sentences on your blog, along with these instructions.
4. Do not go and find your favorite book, it has to be the one you are reading now!
5. Tag 5 other people to do the same.

Now, Angela posted an excerpt from the book Life of Pi, which sounds interesting, but is definitely a FAR cry from what is on my nightstand! I will admit that I really enjoy romance novels...love the happy endings. And they are a nice way to wind down after a long day. That being said, I am currently reading All That Matters by Stef Ann Holm. In this book the heroine is the owner of a bakery that is doing really well, but the large corporation wants to take the land the shop sits on and she is fighting the takeover. Her love interest is the lawyer who works for the big corporation. Her grandmother, who raised her, has her own little shop and a love story going on as well.

Ethel set her things on the register counter. "I can smell the vile cigar fumes rolling out of his place when I keep my front door open on a sunny day. He's ruined the neighborhood with that nasty shop of his."

Chloe couldn't argue that point. After living with Bobby-Tom's smoking habit, she despised the smell of cigarettes to this day.

"How come you call him Buzz Lightyear?" Chloe asked, giving Boo-Bear a scruff behind her ear. Her tail wagged to show she was happy.

"Because I heard he's a retired astronaut."

"Really? That's cool. He's famous then."

"Famous is only an adjective. It all depends on the person, and not the infamy of his deeds."

 

I added a few more sentences because that last line seemed a good stopping point.

Here are the friends I'm going to tag...Kathi, Barb, Kim, Christi, and Erin.

Thanks for reading...this was different and fun.

Jeanne

Another Christmas Tree and a Snowflake Card

I'm back! And I've got two cards to share this time!

I've been seeing a lot of cards around the blogosphere using Kraft cardstock and white ink. I recently picked up a bunch of Kraft cardstock at Archiver's on their discontinued rack and have been itching to try white ink on it. Here's the result of that attempt today.

(Click on the photo to enlarge it if you like) I think I ended up with a bit of a homespun feel. I stamped the tree in CTMH's white pigment ink, which takes forever to dry. To speed up that process, I added super fine clear embossing powder and heat set it. Then I played around with using red elements so that I could use my newly acquired red/white striped ribbon.

This is a Bazzill ribbon 15 yards/spool and I got it for a whopping $1.99-for the whole spool! Archiver's is having their Holiday Spectacular weekend this weekend to kick off the holiday season. I went yesterday morning with Jessica, but she was no fun-kept yanking on my hand and asking if we could go home, and I couldn't really look around. So, I went back this morning to browse to my heart's content-and I even snagged their special coupon sheet that has a different coupon each week for the next 7 weeks. (Yesterday they had run out of the allotment and I got there 10 minutes after they opened!) While checking out this ribbon, a nice lady stood next to me looking as well. She commented that she is getting married and had been looking for a black/white striped ribbon like this one to use on her invitations, but she hadn't been able to find any anywhere. I mentioned maybe SU might have some and we parted ways. About 5 minutes later, I was in another part of the store and discovered several rolls of black/white striped ribbon! So, I flagged her down and showed her. She was so tickled! She picked up all they had and kept thanking me. I was happy to have been able to help her. We parted ways again, then next thing I knew, she came up to me with her planner and showed me the invitation she was going to make. Wow! It was striking and the ribbon A's had would work perfectly. I was so happy for her!

Okay...sorry about that tangent, but wanted to share this woman's happiness. I think the rest of the card is pretty self explanatory anyway. I added some red Stickles at the end to add a little "oomph" to the card.

This next card is inspired by one that Erin G. of Inky Smiles shared. She is so creative, isn't she? Anyway, I was going by memory here and ended up with a similar, but different card. I was thinking she had done her card on white! And I also realized she colored in on the embossed parts and I colored in on the de-bossed parts (is that the correct term?)

After I Cuttlebugged the card front with the snowflakes embossing folder, I used the  Sakura Gelly Roll clear glitter pen and colored in the areas that were recessed. I decided not to color in every single flake because I thought it would overpower the card. On the snowflakes I didn't use the glitter pen, I added a rhinestone. Then I used the sentiment from Hero Arts Winter's Butterfly stamp set (which is all snowflakes and this sentiment). I stamped it in Grey Wool, then again with Crystal Blue to give it a chilled effect. I don't know if that was necessary, but oh well. I'm really pleased with how this one turned out. Thanks for the idea, Erin!

Thanks again for stopping by. And thanks SO much for all the sweet comments you've left about my new profile picture. You sure know how to make a girl feel nice!

Jeanne

 

Stuff I used:

Christmas Tree card~

Stamp: Winter Shaped (Inkadinkado)

Paper: Kraft (Archiver's), Holiday Red, White (CTMH)

Ink: Holiday Red (CTMH)

Accessories: Bazzil ribbon, Red Stickles, Ink Essentials White opaque pen (Ranger)

Tools: Rectangle/Scallop Nestabilities, sponge for inking edges

Snowflake Card~

Stamp: Winter's Butterfly (Hero Arts)

Paper: White Cardstock (CTMH)

Ink: Grey Wool, Crystal Blue (CTMH)

Accessories: White organdy ribbon (my stash), Gelly Roll Pen (Sakura), rhinestones (my stash)

Tools: Cuttlebug, snowflakes embossing folder

Golden Happy Holidays Card

Well, I have to tell you...for as simple "looking" this card may be, it sure took me a heck of a long time to complete it. I was completely inspired by this card I saw on the I{heart}2 Stamp blog. It was created by Becca Feeken of the Amazing Paper Grace blog. Isn't hers stunning?  Well, here is my version...note I said inspired this time, not copied.

First off, I stamped the image in Brilliance Galaxy Gold pigmented ink by Tsukineko, but quickly determined it was just a little too soft to really stand out. So, I thought I'll just heat emboss it with gold embossing powder. Looked all around for it and came to realize I don't own any gold ep! Well, okay then, I found some Pearl ep and decided to use that. Then I had problems getting even coverage and somehow some black flecks of embossing powder got into the jar. Ugh. Finally got a decent image and decided to cut the tree out. Well, I messed that up, so it was back to the drawing board. Let's say I stamped and embossed this image many times! I finally used some ultra fine clear embossing powder and called it good.

The little strip of dp you see is from Martha Stewart (Michaels just set up the Christmas display and, oh my heavens, I could go broke if I bought even half of what appealed to me). There are a couple of new paper packs available and this one is called Golden Woodland paper pack. There are some really pretty designs in it. Well, that little strip is from a page that looks like this:

See that border at the bottom? I cut that off and used the lattice border punch from Martha Steward. I then attached it to the gold cardstock (which I bought separately from the paper pack, in the scrapbook papers aisle). Well, that didn't go as smoothly as I'd hoped. I cut the first strip too small, then when I was punching the new strip, I couldn't get it lined up right! Sigh.

But I hung in there and wanted to use gold ribbon. Guess what? Yep...I don't own any gold ribbon either! Deep sigh.

But, in spite of (or maybe because of) all the hassle, I think the card came out pretty well. Let's just say...if I was thinking of using this design as my holiday cards this year...I have definitely changed my mind! LOL

This is the first card I've tried to create today, let's hope any others come together a little more smoothly (and quickly).

Thanks for stopping by and giggling along with me over the making of this card.

Jeanne

Stuff I used:

Stamp:Clear Christmas Tree stamp (Martha Stewart)

Paper: Golden Woodland paper pack (Martha Stewart), gold cardstock (??)

Ink: Galaxy Gold (Tsukineko)

Accessories: ultra fine clear embossing powder (Ranger). gold brads, white organdy ribbon (stash), pop dots

Tools; heat gun, Lattice border punch (Martha Stewart)

New Profile Photo

I don't know if I've mentioned it here, but for that past few years I've had a really difficult time wearing any eye make-up. After I put it on, my eyes water and then the lid gets flaky. I've felt like I was continually messing with the goop in the corners of my eyes as well. So, I pretty much quit wearing make-up altogether. But, on the few occasions where I'd have my picture taken, I'd really dislike how I'd look w/o make up. I was chatting with Erin and she mentioned the mineral make up and maybe I needed to switch brands. It's possible, since I've worn the same brand pretty much since I started wearing make-up (and that's more years ago than I care to think about). Anyway, at the store this morning, I picked up a few new items of make-up, tried it on and decided to have a mini photo shoot. I took a TON of photos and even changed my shirt. (thanks for the tip, Erin) Here's the one I decided I liked the best after playing just a bit with it in PSE 5.0:

Hope this gives you an idea of what I look like these days.

Thanks for stopping by. Now I need to get back to the laundry...LOL

 

Jeanne

Give Thanks

Happy Thursday! Hope you all have been having a good week. I'm doing well and finally made into my corner this afternoon. Got one piece done and thought I'd share real quick before I head out to get the girls from school.

My inspiration came from this card by Julee on the Poetic Artistry blog. Julee's been sharing artwork for the upcoming monthly release on Verve Stamps. So, I don't own the stamps she used (yet) and tried the card with some Close To My Heart stamps. I think it came out okay, but I like my inspiration piece better.

I stamped the largest pumpkin with Brown Bag ink first, then made a mask with a sticky note and added a pumpkin on either side. Then I went back and stamped the images again with Versamark and heat embossed with Copper ep. I wanted a bit of a glittery look so I used a pen I recently picked up from that store that was going out of business (but I've also seen them at Archiver's and I think Hobby Lobby). It's called a Twinklette (pigmented glitter marker by Marvy). The one I used is orange. You might be able to see the glittery look better if you click on the image to enlarge it. After I colored it in with that, I added some brown with a Bic Mark-it pen.  The dp I used is from my ever faithful Fall Matstack (DCWV) and the discs are Halloween colored Dew Drops from Robin's Nest. The rest of the card is pretty self explanatory, I think.

Used:

Stamps:  Harvest Memories, Give Thanks (CTMH)

Paper: Cocoa cardstock (CTMH), Fall Matstack (DCWV)

Accessories: Copper embossing powder (Stampendous), Dew Drops, Ribbon (from stash)

Tools: sponge, heat gun, circle punches, concave punch, small slit (??) punch, piercing mat (SU)

If I forgot something, please forgive me. I need to head out as I am going to Amy's class to listen to some of the students read during their  independent reading time. It's the only bit of volunteering I am able to do since Jess goes to K in the afternoon.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are getting your notices of my posts okay...because I usually get them too (from Feedblitz) and I haven't the past few times I've posted.

Jeanne

A New Kind of Planet...Paper Craft Planet

My friend Kim has been posting about this new website called Paper Craft Planet and I joined the other day to see what it was all about. You can read about here on her blog. I'm still getting used to how it all works, but it looks like a hopping place to visit. Check it out!

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Be sure you get out an vote today if you haven't already! Colorado has one of THE longest ballets this year, and I made sure to sign up for the mail in ballot so as not to feel rushed while deciding. I heard yesterday that over 60% of registered voters in CO have already voted either by mail in or early voting. I think the long lines of a few years ago impressed up voters to get 'r done early!

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I didn't get into my corner yesterday. Mainly because I spent the day cleaning around the house. Do you ever have those times where things are fine or seem fine, then you look around and wonder how the heck the house got to looking like a dump? Please tell me I'm not the only one! Anyway...I'm in one of those phases where I'm tired of the house looking neglected. Tends to happen on Mondays after a busy weekend where I don't pick up much because I'm too busy crafting or spending time with the family. (We went for a bike ride on Sunday to the "big" park, as my girls call it, near our Rec Center). Yesterday the bug bit me hard! I took care of a few things that have been niggling at me. Like the corner by our breakfast bar where I had piled a bunch of the girls' artwork. I finally weeded through it and got it down to a manageable size to fit into the tub I bought for that purpose. I then put the tub under our bed, so the corner looks decent to me (no one's said anything about it...maybe it was just bugging me!). I started cleaning in the bathroom and attacked the baseboards that get so dusty. When I looked up from the vantage point of work on the floor, I saw how nasty the walls looked in spots and decided to do some spot cleaning and that led to other cleaning spots and before I knew it, my day was spent. I know I'm not the most pristine housekeeper, but I've gotten lazy and need to step it up again!

Which brings me to my question...sad as it may be...the walls in our house are in need of a good cleaning...and I was wondering what you would recommend for the job? I think TSP is supposed to be good. I was using some of those surface wipes in the bathroom, but that could get pretty pricey...LOL. Any thoughts?

Oh and just to pass along this random tip...I read on a newsletter I get that a gal had a hard time cleaning her shower walls (like I do...) and she discovered those surface cleaning wipes (she gets hers at Costco) work really well. Just use them when the shower is dry. I'm gonna try it!

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I guess that's enough of a rambling post...thanks if you've actually read it!

Maybe today I'll get some crafting done...or more cleaning! We shall see!

Jeanne

Embossed Birthday Wishes Card

I recently read a post/tutorial by the incredible Becca Feeken, who writes the Amazing Paper Grace blog. She's the one who shared the tutorial using the corner punches to make the medallion card. Anyway, she played with some of her smaller embossing folders for the Cuttlebug and found a way to extend their use. I thought it was really neat and had the folders so I tried it myself today. It wasn't difficult, but it was something I know I never would have thought of in a million years!

Here's my card after following her tutorial - the explanation for the square cards is toward the end. I think it came out pretty nicely, if I do say so myself. One of the issues with using a white core cardstock in the Cuttlebug is that it can crack and you see the white. And that's what happened even though I tried to cushion it with some scrap paper. I could have sanded it and made it look like it was supposed to be white, but instead I took my Petal ink pad and rubbed it over the top of the Petal cardstock (CTMH). Then I used my brand new Square Nestabilities. I got them from my friend Erin G of Inky Smiles for a great price! Thanks, my friend!! The image is from a Heidi Grace stamp set called Wild Daisy Road that I found at Joann's a long time ago. I stamped it multiple times some second generation.

But the thing I am really happy with is the embellishment in the corners. I have been seeing a lot of pretty and intricate looking brads on different cards in the blogosphere and I really like them. I've been scoping out my craft stores in the hopes of finding some that didn't break my budget. In my last post I mentioned I wandered into the bead/jewelry making aisle of Michaels. In addition to the medallion looking pieces on my last card...I found a package of these:

Obviously I opened up the package before I took the picture, but I set out the items you will find in it. I thought I could use these to make my own little embellishments. While the bead caps are rounded, I discovered they are pretty easy to flatten with a push of the thumb over the center on a hard surface. After I flattened it, I added a rhinestone to the center and then used a glue dot to attach it to the card. There are only a few of the globe looking pieces and lots of the little bead caps. Click on the image to get a better look. I'm so excited by my little find. They come in gold too. Oh if they came in an antique type of color that would be so awesome!

Stuff I used:

Stamps: Wild Daisy Road (Heidi Grace), Mixed Messages (Papertrey Ink)

Paper and ink : Petal, Pansy Purple (CTMH)

Accessories: Organdy ribbon (my stash), rhinestones (Kaiser), Bead Caps (Michaels)

Tools: Square Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Flower embossing folder

That's it from me for now...thanks so much for stopping by!

     Jeanne