The Play Date Cafe' Challenge #6--A New Treasure...and Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving morning to you all!

This will be quick--and it's late! My computer is having major trouble today, and this is the first access I've had to my blog since last night!

This is week #6 of The Play Date Cafe'--and we're having such a great time! Hope you'll all join in with us if you're not already! This week's colors were chosen by Sarah, and they're just so fun and fabulous!

Here's my take on the challenge this week:

Just got two fabulous new stamp sets from Cornish Heritage Farms--they're full of vintage baby adorableness!

Look at those fantastic vintage fonts and sweet sayings!



A little closer up view--I'm trying to work on my watercoloring skills...got a way to go, but I'm having fun learning!

Had fun with this card--new stamps and fresh, fun colors--thanks, Sarah! Now I can't wait to see your take on these colors---eat that turkey and get stamping!

Well...the turkey's starting to smell pretty wonderful! This year I am doing my sweet friend Marie's turkey. Marie has the most wonderful blog--The English Kitchen--if you haven't been there yet--do your self a favor and hustle over! Every day is a treat...good food...gorgeous pictures of the food...fabulous recipes...all from her beautiful cottage kitchen! Thank-you, Marie!

I hope you all have the most wonderful Thanksgiving Day today with your family and friends...enjoy every delicious, calorie-laden moment!

(Beautiful vintage Thanksgiving postcard courtesy of Sandy Redburn and Crafty Secrets...she offered it as a free download on her blog, and I never got around to making a card with it, but I love it!)

Some Stamping, Storybook Houses, and a Sweet Love Story...

Good evening, all! So much to do today, hope you stick with me till the end, because that's where the sweet, true-love story is....!

First of all--oh, my! I'm so thrilled to be asked to join Julie Murray and the Design Team--Alison, Sarah and Sandi--of The Play Date Cafe' Challenge! I'm just so excited to be part of this talented team--they are such warm and welcoming women, and just wait till you see the fun planned for the rest of the year--and beyond! This will be my first week to host, and I'm really looking forward to everyone's beautiful creations! There's still time to join in this week, and I hope you do, if you haven't already! Sandi's hosting this week, and her beautiful color selection can be seen in my post from yesterday...Thanks so much, ladies!

More thanks...today I received two very beautiful cards in the mail...one from my sweet friend, Darlene, and the other from another kind friend--also from Splitcoast, Melisa. Both were sending well-wishes for getting over my bug--I'm doing much better, ladies, and your thoughtfulness really made my day--thank-you both!

So many wonderful people in the blog world--if I'd only known...I'd have done this SO much sooner!

Okay, down to "business"! I've got three cards for you tonight--all from three of my favorite stamp companies! My first card tonight is for a sketch challenge at Pink Persimmon--


I love Scottie's --we have a Scotty...she was VERY expensive! Her pedigree says she's 100% Scottish Terrier, but I'm fairly certain that somewhere in her family tree, a TASMANIAN DEVIL played a part, because that's what she is! We love her, she's adorable, but she can't be in the house--she EATS my house! But this little Scotty image is peaceful and sweet, isn't it?!



Had fun with this one--thanks for the challenge, Pink Persimmon!


My next card uses an image from Crafty Secrets' "Christmas" Images & Journal Notes.


This is one of my favorite images in the booklet--mostly because I love pictures from this time periods, around the 1920's, and I love the style of these houses--very storybook or bungalow style--my favorite!

Those beautiful, steep, snow-covered roofs, the beautiful colors of the houses...aaahhh! Making this card made me pull out one of my favorite books on Storybook Houses. If I could live in one of these beauties, I would do it in a heartbeat!

Bear with me, here...I want to share some beautiful Storybook-style homes I found online...





Aren't these fabulous??? Okay, maybe not to everyone's taste--but they just make me happy!

These houses were very popular in southern California--especially in Hollywood--can you see why?

Last but certainly not least...while making this last card with a fabulous new set from Cornish Heritage Farms,



(***Just added the card I made to the post--for some reason it got deleted last night, so you were all probably wondering WHAT card I said I made with this set! Ah, technology!)

...I was reminded of my great-grandparents, Glenn and Estella Stapley. I have a picture of them that the couple in the stamp really remind me of...

...and the house he built for her in the 1920's...a large, beautiful home in the palm-lined lanes of old Phoenix, Arizona...


In this picture, you can see the large screened-in porch upstairs where the kids would sleep in the summer...


Glenn and Estella were, literally, childhood sweethearts. They always said they were born "a day apart and a mile apart", in Mesa, Arizona , on June 6th and 7th of 1895. No details tonight...you've read quite enough from me for now! Just a sweet love story to go to sleep on...sweet dreams!

(Scotty card: Pink Persimmon's "Ric Rac Circle" set, "Little Christmas Cottage" set, "Vintage Cupcake" set, "Scotty Dogs" set. )

Queen for the Day, Beautiful Blackwork...and Yes, a Few More Halloween Memories!

Good morning!

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! We did, and we're tired this morning! We all woke up late today, but everybody got where they needed to be...just a little panic, that's all!

Let's just jump right in, shall we? I've got a few things for you today...first off, another fabulous new stamp set from Cornish Heritage Farms! Got mine on Friday, and played with it a bit yesterday. Here's the set:

Gorgeous images, aren't they?! Now here's my first effort with it--not sure I'm entirely happy with what I did, but I needed a birthday card, and it fits the person, so...! Next time, I think I'll go a bit more simple--not so busy...


As soon as I saw this set online, I fell in love with it! The first thing that came to my mind was Blackwork--ever heard of it? Here's a book I found years ago that I just love:

I LOVE needlework--always have--and this is a beautiful type of needlework with quite a history....

It's thought that Blackwork originated with the Moors, who introduced it to England in the during the Crusades. Chaucer mentions it in "The Canturbury Tales". It was made very popular during King Henry VIII's reign when his first queen, Catherine of Aragon, loved it, and wore many beautiful things embellished by it. There are many beautiful portraits painted during this time with the subject's clothing covered with exquisite blackwork.

A practical use for blackwork that I read about is a little less glamorous...it was thought to be used as a way to disguise the dirt on fancy cuffs, collars and hems. Hygiene was a little lacking in those days! It was also an inexpensive way for the poorer people to mimic all the fancy lace pieces the wealthy wore.

Interesting, isn't it? I refreshed my memory on this history while looking through my book here--I'm not a walking encyclopedia, I promise!

Here's a blackwork sampler I stitched back in 2003, using this book for my patterns. Thankfully I stitched the year at the bottom, or I wouldn't have remembered when I did it--the years are all starting to roll together, know what I mean?!

Still haven't gotten it framed yet...not much of a slacker, am I? Guess I'd better grab a 50% off framing coupon from Michael's! Now I feel like stitching.....!

To change the subject, I've got another Halloween card for you:

I love the Crafty Secrets image booklets--they make cardmaking SO much fun--and so easy! I love this image from their "Halloween" Images & Journal Notes booklet. Not too much more Halloween card-making time left, is there?!

To close up, just thought I'd add a few more family Halloween pictures--hope you don't mind--my family's enjoying this (my girls are just a LITTLE embarassed--not much!) These are from October 2000--where does the time go?

My daughter Chelsea as Cleopatra--isn't she beautiful? She was 10 this year...

Sarah as Jessie from Toy Story 2. Perfect, isn't it?! As soon as she saw the movie, she KNEW what she was going to be for Halloween that year--a character made just for her, she thought! She was 5 years old...
My sweet Annie the Princess...she loved wearing this dress as much as she could! She was 4 years old here...

The Campbell women having fun at a family Halloween party at our church. Fun memories!

Hope you're almost ready for all the Halloween fun this weekend--got all your costumes ready? I don't! Off to the fabric store today--I've gotta get cracking!

See you tomorrow!

Card details:
Royal Birthday: Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms' "Royal Birthday". Cardstock: BBlack, Elegant Eggplant, textured gold (from Michaels', PTI White, Real Red. Ink: StazOn Black, Encore Gold, Vintage Photo. Other: lace, grosgrain, gold ribbon, gold glass glitter, crystal button, brass fan charm, Pearl Stickles, SU! watercolor pencils & crayons, EK gold metallic pen, dimensionals, sponge.

Halloween Greetings: Cardstock: BBlack, PTI White, Pumpkin Pie. Ink: Vintage Photo. Other: Crafty Secrets' "Halloween" Images & Journal Notes, black pompom trim, rickrack trim, gingham, silver glitter, glue pen, buttons, sponge.

Birds, Bees...and More Babies!

Good afternoon! Hope you've all had a wonderful day so far! Just picked up daughter #3 from school and thought I'd do a quick post before soccer, daughter #2 pick-up, etc.!

All I have today are a couple of projects I've been working on--both soft, sweet Springtime colors, for some odd reason, but they were appealing to me, so.....!

First off--a birthday crown--I won't say for whom, as they do look at my blog, so it will have to be a secret...shhhhh!

Over-the-top, garish, opulent, you say? Yes, please!

I put lots of real silver shavings glitter on it, which will gradually tarnish over time, giving it a more vintage look....I like that!

My little pie birdie just jumped into the picture...

The main bird image is from Crafty Secrets new "Birds & Blossoms" Creative Scraps--fabulous images! The sentiments are from two of CS's stamp sets: "Bird Lovers" and "Bird Notes". The patterned paper is from CS' Pastel paper pack, as is the music patterned paper, but I can't remember which pad it comes from--sorry! A little Glossy Accents on the top medallion (from "Bird Notes"), big, chunky crystals, a little silver cord, and that's it!

Now for the bees....well, I don't actually have a bee project--yet! But, I wanted to show you something I'm very excited about--just ordered from Cornish Heritage Farms the other day, and am expecting a couple of new fabulous stamp sets--I'll show you one of them later. For today, though, take a peek at this little beauty:

My head is just "buzzing" with ideas for this set! Can't wait to get it all inky! I'll have something to show you next week...

Now, for the babies--just follows naturally, right? I've had babies on the brain since my nephew's birth the other day, so I fixed up this sweet little image from Crafty Secrets' new "Baby Girl" Vintage Postcard Kit.

All these images are just so adorable! All I did here was add a little Dazzling Diamonds with my glue pen, some sweet little baby beads, a few pink crystal rhinestones, and a little pink ribbon--done!

I used the stamp set that comes with it to finish off the back--vintage postcard style!




I have a couple of pictures of my new nephew--being a proud auntie, I just had to force them upon you--thanks for bearing with me!

How's that for a sweet little face? Just a few minutes after he was born--pretty alert little guy!

I really love this picture--very tender. My sister had to have a C-Section after hours of labor--nothing much was happening, and they decided to go that route, which turned out to be a very good thing--won't go into details! She was very brave and calm through the whole thing, and this is just a minute or so after he was born--her husband, Eddie was holding little Connor close to her face, and you can just see a little tear in the corner of her eye--and what a sweet new mama smile--at last! it seems to say...peace...

Now, to close up for the day...I've also been thinking alot about MY babies--where does the time go??? Seems like just yesterday, I was scurrying around at this time of year, trying to put together the costume for the amazing thing they wanted to "be"! Here's my baby #1; a college-girl now, far away from her mommy, when she was three years old:

My sweet little Chelsea in the pumpkin patch--I love this picture so much!

That same year all dressed up for Halloween--she was NOT a witch, she was a "magical magician"! I miss you, Chelsea!

A few years later, and we had three little babies at Halloween time:

Chelsea, this time she WAS a witch! getting ready for the costume parade at John E. Steinbeck Elementary School (our hometown's favorite son!)



My two little sweeties, Sarah, the scary witchie, and Annie the tiny pumpkin head--she was just 2 months old...wow! Now, these are my 8th and 9th graders--yikes!


Thanks for indulging me in my memories...pull out YOUR scrapbooks and remember Halloweens past--it's just a LITTLE scary!