Bits and Pieces

Fun Music Video

2011-10-14T16:16:00.000-05:00

I watched this on my Art Journal Caravan Adventure Quest and just had to embed here so I could watch it again and again. I think it is cool! He is very good!

Summer Fun

2011-10-08T16:09:00.000-05:00

We are having really nice weather here in Minnesota! It is 80 degrees outside right now and it is the 8th of October! I guess I could be raking leaves but it is too hot! The weather men are predicting snow in November--early for us--but with it so nice, it is hard to believe.

Just wanted to share a few pics of the summer fun we had with the grandchildren and our children this past summer 2011. Raising a family can be hard work, but it is sure worth every moment!

Jackson and Megan in the sandbox

Grandpa Nelson playing with the kids

Megan playing in the dirt with the boys

Jackson

Megan

Jackson

Megan and Grandpa Nelson

Megan

I Have a New Blog!

2011-09-13T18:35:00.000-05:00

Hi, I know I haven't written here for awhile, but I want to now. I have been busy with kids, work, school and my art. I want to let everyone know that I now have two more blogs. My one blog: http://shariscardsandstuff.blogspot.com/
has been changed to http://shariscardsandpapercrafts.blogspot.com/
I plan on posting and sharing the cards that I make and techniques that I have learned. I will probably post some scrapbooking pages, and anything else that I make with paper.

My other blog is called Dirty Fingers. http://dirtyfingersbysharinelson.blogspot.com/
When I draw or paint I usually get my fingers dirty. I like to get my fingers dirty in my art. I think I probably enjoy those projects the most, the ones that I get "dirty" fingers. I will be posting my artwork from my sketchbook, mostly drawings, and I am going to be painting too. I really want to use some color and have always wanted to try painting. I do love black and white but color is fasinating too. Don't you think so? I will be posting some art instructions about drawing and painting on this blog too.

I hope you have a chance to look every once in awhile because that is one of the reasons that motivates me to share my projects. I also love to write and journal and having a blog, projects, and stories helps me to have a reason to do the writing.

Oh, there are also other reasons, I suppose that motivates me to have several blogs, but that is probably good for another post at another time.

Reflections

2010-12-26T16:48:00.002-06:00

I just read some important thoughts on a post of a friend. She was talking about verbal abuse. What she said has me thinking about some experiences I have had, mostly the wrong things I have said to people. It is so hard not to kick ourselves when we know we have hurt people, without meaning to. The deal is, we don't control what hurts others, they, or the person, controls that. Let me explain:

Everyone has had experiences in their lives that have shaped their way of thinking about things. We all have different backgrounds and some of us come from different cultures. Even different areas of the United States have different customs and ethnic backgrounds. I come from the New England area of the US. That is the area the pilgrims called "New England" because that is where they were from. My ancestors are from England and France, Ireland, and Scotland. Here in the mid-west where I currently live most of the people are from Germany, Norway, or Sweden. (Hence, my married name Nelson-my husband has ancestors from Sweden, Czechoslovakia, and an area that no longer exists-Bohemia.)

In "New England," which includes Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, we have a slight accent on our r's. We eat grinders and casseroles and a lot of seafood. We have a love for the Atlantic ocean, and our Appalachian Mountains covered with pine and maple trees. We have many historical museums about the early days of the United States, and we are mostly country folk with a love of wooded areas.

Back to my explanation. My parents were married for about eight years when they decided to get a divorce. I was five years old. I won't go into any details but I thought that it was my fault when my parents split up. At five years old that was a lot to carry around. Most of the time I was a busy and happy five year old, as the years went on though I became very shy and quiet. I was so afraid of being noticed. I tried to hide my face with my hair, I tried to not say anything in groups, I took long walks by myself in the woods in the back of our house. I didn't like being around people. I could not communicate well at all with others. Heck, I tried to avoid it. Now I believe it was because I was angry with my parents for the divorce and I could not change it. I felt it was my fault and could not make it better.

When I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints I came to know that it was not my fault and that I could do nothing to change what had happened. I came to eventually accept that everyone has problems and sometimes those problems affect others in a not-so-positive way. The only person who can "make" me happy, even when all these other situations get in the way is ME. It is not what other people say to me, or what other people do (that are in my life, like family), it is how I react to those things. I can choose to be angry, or sad, or I can ignore them or the situation completely if I choose. But the point is that it is my choice. No matter what the experience or situation is, I can choose the way I am going to deal with it. Whether the person was wrong in what they said or did, it doesn't matter. We each have to deal with these things and the only way to be happy about any of it is to choose to be happy. We can choose to let things hurt us, we can choose to not let things or words, hurt us. If we choose to be hurt, then we have a problem or issue that needs some attention. The reason the situation or words said that are hurting us, could be because of something that happened in the past. Have you heard the phrase, "It hit a nerve?"

We can not control other people or their choices! We can control our choices and we can forgive others for their mistakes or their "bad" choices, whether those choices are verbal or physical. Isn't that what the Lord has told us?... to forgive others their trespasses? Other people do not know what is hurtful to us whether it be words or actions. They do not know our past or our experiences, or our problems that we are dealing with. They do not know! How can we hold someone responsible for "hurting us" when they have no idea what that act or word is? The answer is that we can not hold others responsible for our pain, since it is our choice to feel that pain in the first place.

So, my point is to "Forgive others their trespasses." It is the only way we can all live together. Work on your issues, and improve yourself to be more like the Savior-Jesus Christ. He loves us the way we are, we need to love others the same way. Develop that Christlike love. Don't you want others to forgive you when you make a mistake? I know that I do and I have since accepted my parents for who they are and for the choices they have made, whether I like those choices or not. Everyone has free agency to make choices and I would not trade that for anything, not anything.

So, I feel that we need to choose to be happy more often, and to forgive others a lot more than we already do.

Love to all,
Shari Nelson

It's Christmas! 2010, Well, one day later!

2010-12-26T15:26:00.000-06:00

We have had a nice Christmas this year. Carl, Mike and I stayed home and enjoyed some relaxing time to sit, converse, watch a movie or two, and just get caught up on some activities that we have had to postpone for awhile. We have been so busy with work and school and have not had any time to enjoy the holiday. We did get together with Carl's family on the 18th for a Nelson Christmas. It was quiet this year because Carl had to work that day also. He had a full-time seasonal job that is now done. We are grateful that he had the opportunity to work and bring in some much needed income. Times are hard right now for us but we are managing. Here are some pictures of my family from the past month or so....

Cutie Pie Megan 1 year old December

Our Christmas Tree with Beth, Jackson, and Megan 2010

Our Thanksgiving Day 2010 with silly goings on....

Smiling Jackson (sorry it is out of focus, sometimes it is so hard to capture that moment!)

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year! Don't forget to make those new year resolutions and goals. It is very important! Please leave a comment if you view this post, thanks!

Some more vacation pictures and stories

2010-08-16T06:00:00.001-05:00

Hi again, I have some more pictures to share from this summer. Here they are with a little description for each:

Ah, a picture of Carl-grandpa, with our grand-daughter Megan. Isn't she cute?! I think so. She is about seven months old in this picture. We are in the arboretum at the Como Zoo in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was a very hot day, but we had a lot of fun. I got nauseated every time I went into one of the animal displays, so I stayed outside.

Here is Beth and Jackson eating lunch at the zoo. The tables were really gross, but it was the only place to sit down and have a bite. We used napkins to keep the germs away. Jackson liked the animals.

These next two pictures have a bunch of characters in them! Ha,Ha! The first one is a picture of a monkey-of course...and the next one below is a picture of my son-in-law Josh. He is such a funny guy!

Smile for the camera! Thanks!

Wow, it has been a fun and busy summer

2010-08-14T15:38:00.000-05:00

Hi All, I have been traveling this summer and visiting lots of family and friends. My husband, son, and I went to Vermont, Canada, and Colorado! We have been all over the country-almost. It was great. I am posting some pictures of our vacation:

This is the place in Canada where my great-great-great-grandfather had his farm in the 1800's. It was across the lake from that big mound. It is naturally occuring. So, it is also pretty easy to find. The mound is a tourist attraction, and you can actually climb it to the top. It is mostly granite or some other really hard rock. My family used to use the lake to float timber down to the mill. They also farmed a lot of the property. It is owned by a golf club now. Those homes in the picture are all privately owned too.

Here is the church where my great-great-great-grandparents lie. The cemetary is in the back. The Catholics know that they are buried here, it is just a matter of exactly where. There aren't any head stones to mark the burial places. This is the Catholic church of St. Edmond in Canada.

This is a sign in Canada just to show you I was really there. You will notice the French writing. Yes, it is Quebec, Canada, just north of Vermont. My family moved back and forth from Canada to Vermont and back for years.

My sister on the left and her two children. Bailey, the little one, was born in December. She is so cute. Her brother is being held by my Mom. He is two going on three. Later after this picture was taken, he sprayed his grandma (my Mom) with the hose. She came running over to us. My husband took her to change her wet clothes since we were close to her house. It was funny, but of course, my nephew was told not to do that again! My sister and I just giggled.

This is a picture of the Kirtland Temple built by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or as most people know them as the Mormons. I am a mormon too. This temple is now owned by the Restored Church of Jesus Christ. They are not connected to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Do you know that the wives of the men who built this building crushed their china to put into the plaster that went on the outside of the building to give it some sparkle? It is really pretty in real life. The grounds are kept really nice too.

My husband and son on the steps of the temple. We were driving by and stopped to take some pictures. We didn't take the tour though. We didn't have the time on this stop.

The Cutest Kids!

2010-05-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone, I just want to show you some pictures of my two grand-children. They are so fun! Jackson is two and Megan is 5 months. They came for a visit this past weekend with their parents and it was great. We went shopping, and played for three days.

Jackson is on the slide with grandpa Nelson and Uncle Mike. Jackson calls his uncle-Uncle Mikey

And here are some pictures of Megan:

She is just a sweet little girl! Beth-her mom-is holding her in this picture below. It is so funny the way Megan's hair gets all fluffy when she sleeps. Can you believe she was born with all this hair!

It is almost Summer!

2010-05-17T20:43:00.000-05:00

It is track time at the schools. Mike is the third guy on the left, trying to just do his best and cross that finish line. He does pretty good. Track season is cold! Carl and I sit in the bleachers and watch all the events and it gets kinda windy and cold. Its the same for football season. Hopefully this summer Mike will take up swimming!

Here Mike is walking across the field after his event. He has no idea that I am taking pictures of him. Michael goes to Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted High School. He is a junior this year. He enjoys track. Mike also participates in the high jump.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T22:44:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone, Easter has come and gone and I am now trying to do better at posting on my blog. I have been a very busy girl. I have been working and going to school. I am going to school for digital design and web design. I love it! This quarter I am in a 3D Animation class. I think it will be really, really fun!

My son Andrew is in Merced, California on a two year mission for our church and he is doing well. He is loving it! It is a wonderful opportunity for growth for him and probably for me too! Andrew is busy teaching others about God, Jesus Christ, and the message of love that They have for us here on earth. We are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Tax season is almost over. Have you done your taxes yet? There are only 10 days left. Mine are done, of course, they should be right?

My son Mike is trying to get his Eagle Scout project going. He is going to make some benches for his school athletic program. We have a new school and they thought it would be great to have some more benches around the fields for people to sit on. I think it is a great project for Mike to do. He likes working with his hands, especially with wood.

Carl is still working at LakeWay Sign Co. He would like more business if anyone needs a sign for their business or even personal use. Just give him a call! We are also expecting! Lambs, that is. It is nicer weather so it should be easier for birthing. I'll post pictures when they come!

My grandkids, came to visit for Easter. (and their parents!) It was great having them around, though I do get tired out. Jackson, my grandson has so much energy! Megan is only about four months, and she is a sweetheart!

Well, I have to rap this up! Ta, ta, for now.

I am now the Grandmother of two!

2009-12-08T20:47:00.001-06:00

My daughter just had a bouncing baby girl! They named her Megan Elizabeth Burgess. She weighed in at 5 lbs 15 oz and has a full head of hair! She is 18 inches and looks just like her brother when he was born. Both mom and baby are doing well. Megan came three weeks early and all is well. We are so excited! If you would like to see a picture you can visit their website at www.burgessbunchadventures.blogspot.com . Thanks for visiting!

It's That Time of Year!

2009-12-06T00:45:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone, it is that time of year-Christmas! Here in Minnesota it is cold. It has been in the twenties for a while now. We have a dusting of snow on the ground too. I really do not like the cold. We were spoiled in November, it was warmer than usual. It was nice while it lasted. Christmas is a fun time of year too. The kids look forward to opening gifts on Christmas Day. I am looking forward to my daughter having her second child. She is expecting a girl. I will let you know when it happens.

Andrew is getting ready for his mission. He has almost everything taken care of. It is getting so close. I am glad he will be home for this Christmas. I hope all of you that read this have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

California Dreaming!

2009-10-28T10:49:00.000-05:00

Andrew has received his mission call. He will be going to Fresno, California! He needs to report to the Missionary Training Center (MTC) by January 6th. For those of you who don't know about our church much, he will be dedicating the next two years, to teaching others who want to hear, the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are busy preparing him by getting the clothing, books, and other supplies he will need to present himself as a missionary from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Andrew is very excited to be going on his mission, and we are very excited also. For two years he will be studying the gospel and sharing it with people who want to know more about Jesus Christ and his mission on earth. Jesus Christ came to earth to establish His church and invite others to come to Him. If anyone reading this is interested in finding out more about the gospel that we teach you can leave me a comment, e-mail me, or go to our church web-site mormon.org to find out more and request a Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

Snow?

2009-10-13T10:23:00.000-05:00

It snowed yesterday in Minnesota! It came down very thick and fluffy. As you can see it covered everything! I could not believe it when I woke up. The snow came down for most of the day. It is kinda pretty though.

The leaves are still on the trees for the most part. I am not ready for winter yet, are you? We still have some winterizing to do around the house and this is just going to get in the way! I hope it dries out soon so we can get our house ready for winter. It is so necessary to be ready for winter in this state!

I'm Going Back to School!

2009-10-07T12:35:00.000-05:00

It is October 7th and I have started a new college class from Rasmussen College in St. Cloud, MN. It is an online class and is going well. It started on Monday the 5th. I am taking an Intro to Graphic Arts class. It is part of a Graphic Arts degree that I am pursuing. The online part takes time to get used to though. I have to check the e-mail from the school, then e-mail from my teacher, then participate in a class discussion. I also have to complete assignments and post them to the discussion board, and I have an assignment that I do on the computer that I have to download to the classroom site by Sunday. It feels like a lot because I am on the computer for awhile, more than I like. I am just trying to get the hang of everything online. I try to work in the mornings so I can have free time in the afternoons for errands, cleaning the house (sometimes), chores and surfing blogs, cause that's what I really love. I also try to make time to create. If you check out my other blog:
Shari's Cards and Stuff, that's where you will find my creations. Well, wish me luck, and don't call until after 1 p.m. in the afternoon's! Thanks!

School is in Session

2009-09-17T16:50:00.001-05:00

This is Andrew the year he started Kindergarten.

This is Michael the year he started Kindergarten.

They grow up so fast! Now they are 19 and (almost) 17 years old! I loved being a stay at home mom. It is hard work raising children, but at this point in my life, I only remember the fun we had. I remember the places we visited, the days playing outside in the summer, the days we would visit the park looking for frogs and finding more than that. I remember stopping the car to watch an eagle in flight or to look at a hawk sitting on a tree branch. I remember trips to the zoo. It is such a blessing to be able to stay home and raise your children! I know not all mothers can do this, my mom worked every day. Just remember to cherish the time you spend with your family when you can spend time with them. It goes fast!...or faster than you think! Then hopefully there are grandchildren, and you can do it all again!

A Few Things You Would See Around Our House

2009-09-10T00:25:00.000-05:00

So, we are finally getting some tomatoes rippenning. Is that how you spell it? Well, anyway the whole family got to peel tomatoes and chop peppers to make our favorite salsa. We will be making more! Our tomatoe plants are over five feet tall! That's what sheep manure will do for your garden. It is great!

Ahhh, another lovely vision! This is speckle. She wants to say hello...not really, she thinks she is going to get a treat to eat. See, it not only works with kids... (I gave her some nice clover plants to munch!)

Here are my morning glory plants that I planted years ago in the garden. They keep coming back. The Ostvigs came and got some manure and guess what, they now have morning glory's in their garden! LOL.

Oh, and another site, our car. I don't know why I took this shot, but I did. I was going crazy taking lots of pics. I really like driving this car. I get to sit up a bit higher than in the previous cars we have had.

Well, I hope you enjoy the pictures. Visit again soon!

Andrew and Michael

2009-09-08T11:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was labor day 2009 and our family stayed at home so we could get some projects done. We were all in the kitchen at one point peeling tomatoes, seeding and chopping. We also had to chop onions and peppers for our favorite salsa recipe. It was fun having everyone together working on one project in the same room.

While I was waiting for the water bath to do its thing with the salsa, the boys went outside to jump on the trampoline. Carl took some pictures and the following is what went on. The boys had a great time!

Some geneology pictures!

2009-07-04T06:00:00.001-05:00

This is my Dad, Arthur. He is around 25 years old here, I think. He says he still has this suit!

Here he is in the Air Force. I think he said this is one of the planes he worked on. He couldn't fly because of a heart murmur.

A close up from the previous picture.

My dad also worked in a store when he was in his teens. (late 1940's)This store was a hardware store. In this picture the workers are all dressed up for Halloween or some holiday.

This guy is my dad. (the short one in front with the flannel shirt)

Yup! Some More Vacation Pictures!

2009-07-03T06:00:00.001-05:00

My Aunt Beverly and Uncle Elliot. (I probably spelled uncle's name wrong, sorry!) They have a beautiful home and a lot of beautiful gardens!

Jackson isn't quite sure who is holding him. My aunt Bev taught my how to knit when I was really little. She also brought me a present on my fourth or fifth birthday(?) that I loved. It went with my cowboy stuff that I loved so much at the time. I know I loved it but can't remember if it was the cowboy hat or the cowboy boots. They were both so awesome! I also had my "guns." I will always remember that.

I don't know if any of you remember the tv show, "The Lone Ranger,"
but that was one of my favorites. I was and always will be a tomboy!

Don't you just love these pj's? This is a picture of my grandson in his sock monkey pj's. I just love them! He is sooooo cute in these!

This is Larry. He is my sister's boyfriend. Such a nice guy! Jackson really warmed up to him during our visit. Thanks Larry for all you did for us!

More Family Vacation Pictures

2009-07-02T11:47:00.006-05:00

( More pictures from our trip to visit out eastern United States.) He's got the whole world in his hands! I couldn't resist. We are on my father's deck and Jackson is playing with this ball.

Here we are: me and my sisters with Dad. From left to right: Pam, Me, Dad, Kelly, and Lisa. Yes, we have all changed a bit! Dad and I are the only gray ones though! We are also the only grandparents in this group. I'm not complaining, I love being a grandma! (In the background you see all the trees that surround my Dad's place. Isn't it beautiful! There are a lot of pine trees. He has a bunch of new growth trying to take over his driveway. They have to be cut out of there. My dad sees deer, black bears, and moose on a fairly regular basis.)

My uncle Albert and my grandson.

Isn't that smile contagious? I love it. Uncle Albert is playing with him. Jackson is in this big sled that is on uncle's lawn. So cute!

Family pics

2009-06-30T00:41:00.005-05:00

Here is grandpa with his grandchildren, and great grandson. Wow! I never imagined this day. Isn't this picture great?! They are all smiling at the same time!

My son is being a good sport here with his nephew. We are at my uncle's home in New Hampshire. It was a fun trip!

This is a four generation picture. My mom, me, my daughter, and her son. This is my mom's and dad's first great grandchild.

Vacation is over

2009-06-23T09:56:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone, I am back and I have a lot of pictures to share. I have to download them onto my computer and "doctor" them a bit because I don't like the way my camera works. It is old and I have to lighten most of my pictures so look back to my blog in a day or two and I'll have something to show, and stories to tell.

Vacation Time

2009-06-09T04:00:00.001-05:00

I will be leaving for vacation soon so I won't be posting for about two weeks. Hopefully I will have some great pictures to share when I get back. Talk to you soon.

It is Finally Here!

2009-05-21T21:22:00.002-05:00

Spring is finally here! We are in the process of planting our garden, having more lambs, and getting a ton of eggs from the chickens. My DS#2 is almost done with school and looking forward to summer. We are planning a trip to visit my family in the eastern US. We have not been there for a year and a half. I am bringing my GS to visit his great grandparents if my DD is going to come with us. She has not given me a definite answer yet. I will get some photos taken of my garden, lambs, and chickens for you to see, and I will post them in the next few days. More later!

Darling Grandson

2009-05-04T23:41:00.006-05:00

My daughter and my grandson, Jackson, came to visit last weekend. Jackson loves basketball. One of his first words was "ball." He is trying to play with this big basketball.

Where did it go?

Such a cute little boy! Look at those tiny little shoes!

Here is grandpa trying to give Jackson a boost up to the basketball net. Mike is watching and helping if he can. I don't think Jackson can quite reach it.

More Sheep

2009-04-20T14:12:00.008-05:00

It is feeding time. The "girls" gather around the feeders to get the first bite of hay.

Hungry sheep!

New set of twins and their mamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

We had a set of twins yesterday, Sunday. That makes ten in all. Last weekend we had three sets of twins and one during the week. We have six girls and four boys. I think we have more on the way but I am not sure. We usually get about 16 to 18 in all. It just depends if the ewes bred or not last fall.

Pictures to go with April 5th post

2009-04-05T23:44:00.005-05:00

This is a short video that I think is funny. Listen to what is said and then what my grandson does. Make sure to look at the pictures and read the post after them.

More Pictures to go with April 5th post

2009-04-05T23:37:00.004-05:00

My grandson playing basketball.

My daughter Beth and my grandson.

A Great Visit

2009-04-05T23:10:00.003-05:00

This last weekend was General Conference in our church. We stayed home and watched hours of talks on Saturday and Sunday. It was very relaxing and we received a lot of knowledge from the leaders of our church. I can't wait for the Ensign to come out so I can read all the talks. I always learn better by reading than listening. I also like to study the talks. I have to teach some of them in the Teaching For Our Times class on the 4th Sunday of the month. I just love these lessons.

I am also suffering from a stomach problem which is stopping me from eating, not completely but what do you think of a few crackers and chicken broth for your whole food intake for one day? Needless to say I have lost some weight. It will probably come back on when I get to eat again, but I have no idea when that will be. I've been on this "diet" of little food for over a week now. The problem is probably an ulcer or what they (doctors) call gastritis/acid reflux. I just hope it is curable. I have lost about 15 pounds in one week. I get to go to the hospital this week and have an endoscopy. That is where they put a camera down your throat and into your stomach to see what is wrong. I hope it doesn't hurt.

The good news is that we had a visit from my grandson and his parents. My DGS is now walking on his own. He has one tooth showing on the bottom jaw and another coming through right beside it. He has started saying words also. His first word was "ball" and others are da-da, kitty, and bubba-which is the name of our cat. It was fun having them here. My DD and I also got to work on our soft books which are coming along really well. I love sharing my sewing and rubber stamping with my daughter. I'm glad she has finally taken an interest of it.

Sheep, chickens, and a lamb

2009-03-23T09:36:00.001-05:00

Awwwwwwww....yes, that's me! I am holding the one and only lamb born this season, so far. She is getting big! (the lamb, I know I am already there!)

Trying to get a picture of the lamb. She is trying to hide. The momma is trying to hide her.

The lamb is on the other side.

Here is a good picture of our first lamb of the season. She has grown. Her mom is very nervous around us and that makes her lamb really nervous too. It is hard to help this kind of sheep. It is good though, that instinct to be nervous, especially when you are prey and not predator. This ewe is a really good mom and that is what we like! This is the best picture I could get. In the other pictures the momma is trying to come between me and her baby.

Here they are - pictures of my chickens. Well, not just mine, Carl takes care of them most of the time. We got some from the Ostvigs, friends of ours, a while ago. We now have 9 chickens. I have a little story about them:

Yesterday my husband was outside doing his morning chores and all of a sudden he comes running in the house shouting, "Shari, I found five eggs!" I say, "Where?" He explains that he found one of the chickens in the hay stack sitting on a nest, made in the hay, and when it got up there were five eggs sitting there. "Wow, I said." He goes back out to the barn and all of a sudden he comes running back inside, "Shari, you have to see this!" "Come outside." "Ok, okay, I said as soon as I get dressed." (I was just coming out of the shower) I get dressed and run outside-of course I forget the camera-and Carl is so excited. He starts to tell me-I was feeding the momma ewe and I am looking around as I go in to the area where she is and there are some chickens sitting in the hay stack. One is sitting in this sort of nest and another is standing there beside her. The sitting hen gets up and wha-lah, there are ten eggs! Carl is so excited. We have been letting the chickens out of their coop lately because the snow is melted and it is nicer outside. They found a nice area for a nest and started laying eggs. What they did was to dig two nests out of the hay in the barn where the hay was loose. They must have been laying for a while. We are still not sure which ones are laying. We have two dark brown chickens, three light brown, and four white ones. I think it is the white ones. It may also be the light brown ones too. Needless to say we had scrambled eggs for lunch that day! They were good to.

The Sweetest Grandson!

2009-03-05T18:55:00.000-06:00

I went to visit my grandson for two days recently. Here are some pictures. I usually don't have a lot to say, so I share my pictures with whoever wants to view them. Hopefully some family members are taking a peek. My GS is almost 15 months old. He doesn't have any teeth yet but the bumps are there and I "hope" they are just waiting to come through. He doesn't have any trouble eating though!

My GS is also just about walking on his own. He could manage it if he would just go for it, but not yet. He will stand and dance and take a few steps but then I think he gets a little fearful because he sits down. Pretty soon he'll be all over the place. And yes, he loves to dance.

Lambing Season!

2009-02-23T12:20:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone, how are you doing? We had a little lamb yesterday! (Sunday afternoon) It is the first one of the season and she is doing well. I'll have a picture as soon as I get some batteries for my camera.

Still tax time

2009-02-17T14:17:00.000-06:00

Hi, it is still tax time and I haven't had much time to get my photos of Jackson up. I haven't been able to visit him for awhile either and I miss him. I miss my kids too! My oldest son is in Idaho going to college and my daughter lives two and a half hours away. I know that is close but I can't just run over to her place and visit whenever I want. Soon tax season will be even closer to ending but I am needed there at H&R Block to help those who need help with filing. I also need to work while I can! We have such a bad economy right now! It seems that almost everyone is struggling with something. Gotta go. Thanks for visiting my blog.

My New Blog address

2009-02-10T12:29:00.001-06:00

My new blog address is the following:
http://shariscardsandstuff.blogspot.com
It's called Shari's Cards and Stuff

I don't have much there yet so come back often to see what I have done. Thanks for looking! Please leave a comment when you visit, thanks!

New blog!

2009-02-10T12:12:00.000-06:00

I decided I am going to start a new blog just for my stamping projects. I will be posting more information about this in the future. (As soon as I have it set up!)

Quilts!

2009-02-07T17:15:00.000-06:00

I haven't had much time to create cards lately so I thought I would share some pictures of some quilts I have made. Tax time is getting a little slower but not much. I will be sharing some cards eventually. So, for now, here are some quilt pictures. Thanks for looking!

This quilt was made for one of my boys. The space border glows in the dark. This is similar to a bargello pattern. It was very easy-strip piecing.

I made this quilt for my grandson. He loved looking at patterns and bright colors when he was a little younger. It kept him preoccupied for a while.

This quilt I designed, stitched together and quilted with my sewing machine.

Tax Season

2009-01-28T07:58:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone, I have been so busy since last I posted and it isn't over yet! I am preparing taxes now so I won't be posting until it is over (unless I do find some time). That will be in a couple of weeks. I have some projects I want to share that were done with one of the new SU stamp sets. It's called Game Night. Can't wait to use some of my new Sale-a-bration sets! As usual, thanks for looking!

Happy New Year!

2008-12-29T09:31:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone! What is everyone doing for New Years? I will be home relaxing and hopefully stamping out some cards. Here are some more family pictures from our Christmas:

Action Jackson with his new alphabet Caterpillar:

Reaching for a snack:

My DS1 & DS2 on Christmas Day: (DS2 just passed his driver's exam! DS1 has his too.)

A Pre-Christmas Gathering

2008-12-23T10:38:00.000-06:00

Here we all are (except for my brother-in-law who is taking the picture). Not everyone in the family could be here. It gets harder when everyone is older and has more responsibilities. We are missing my DD and her family and my other niece. We had a fun time together. Merry Christmas everyone!

Awe, the Christmas tree! This is my sister-in-law's beautiful tree! She has some really awesome ornaments! It is tradition in our family to have all different ornaments. I give a different ornament to everyone every year.

Relaxing at the family Christmas gathering. This is after the delicious dinner we had thanks mostly to my sister-in-law! It was yummy.

My husbands sisters, and our niece are dancing to a tune while we wait to have family pictures done. My DS2 is on the left.

Here is my DD and her DH and my DGS opening some gifts. They are going to be in another state visiting other relatives on Christmas day. So we had a pre-Christmas event. It was fun.

She can't believe I got her a (small) Cricut! Well, they were on sale! I couldn't resist.

Here he is with his new talking caterpillar. It says the ABC's. It also plays songs and sounds out letters. My grandson will love pushing all the buttons.

Family Pictures

2008-12-17T19:48:00.000-06:00

Here he is again, my DGS! He is a little guy and he is almost walking on his own. He turned one year old this month. His great-grandma has a birthday today but I don't think she would want me to tell her age.

Isn't this a happy family? It is so hard to get the baby to look and smile at the camera when you want him too. Eventually maybe. This is my DD, her DH, and son, December, 2008.

Dad and son. I just think my DGS is the cutest little boy!

December Birthday

2008-12-10T01:11:00.000-06:00

It is my birthday! I am not telling how old I am. My family should know anyway. Now for something totally different--My Dad had a stroke the day before Thanksgiving. He is in rehab right now. I don't think he is doing so well. They have now discovered he has an ulcer. It is in the process of healing but my Dad is losing weight and not eating very well. I hope he gets better soon. Needless to say I haven't been crafting much lately. I hope to be able to share more of that soon too.

Family Matters

2008-12-06T21:58:00.000-06:00

Here is my DD and her family. It is hard to get a picture of all of them looking at the camera. This one is pretty good though. You know what is best about being a Mom? You eventually get to be a grandma!

It's Almost Christmas!

2008-12-01T16:24:00.000-06:00

So, Thanksgiving came and went. I worked all weekend and my hands got so sore cutting fabric. I work at JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts. My whole body ached after Saturday, good thing I had Sunday off! My daughter, DS-in-law, and grandson came for Thanksgiving dinner. It was great! We had a ton of food! I've been eating left-overs for days now. Can't wait to bite into a juicy hamburger! I'll post some pictures soon.

L'Miss Rudolf

2008-11-25T22:32:00.000-06:00

This is L'Miss Rudolph. I made her out the banner die cut for the Big Shot from Stampin' Up! (SU) The handle is made with the new felt ribbon. It is really cool ribbon! I also used the Candy stripe ribbon. I cut out two banner pieces folded in half so that I would get this larger piece. I glued/taped the two banners together on the outside edges except the top and fanned out the scallops. I also edged the piece with Chocolate Chip ink. I added the nose and eyes using punches, and made some eye lashes. This idea comes from my upline-Dawn. I can now put some treats in it and give it as a gift! I just love the Big Shot! If you are interested in getting one give me a shout and I can order it for you. Thanks for looking!

A Christmas Tree

2008-11-23T20:47:00.000-06:00

I made this Christmas tree with my SU upline. It is made out of the banner die cut for the Big Shot machine. We stamped one side of each piece (5) with a rubber stamp-Baroque, and stuck them together in the middle. Stuck a star on top and added a ribbon. Easy, simple, just the way I like it.

Give Thanks

2008-11-18T22:47:00.000-06:00

I made this tonight at my uplines Big Shot class. It was fun. We used the leaf die cut of course and put it all together. It went fast and was very easy. I think I'll make some more. Do you like it?

More Murder Mystery Pictures

2008-11-11T10:29:00.001-06:00

These are close ups of the characters.

Todd Sweney and Penelope Crust

Bella Bones-me.

Gregory Graves

Tara Cardola

Halloween Murder Mystery

2008-11-07T12:03:00.000-06:00

These are some pictures of the characters in a murder mystery that I participated in recently. We did this for a Halloween party. There were about 20 or so people participating and seven of us as characters. One of us is the murderer, can you tell which one? I don't have a picture of the sheriff, but he didn't do it.

This is Bella Bones the Mortician and owner of Bones Mortuary. Jack Lantern is a pumpkin farmer. He has the best pumpkins around!

Here we have Todd Sweeney, Reaper Junction's Barber. We also have Penelope Crust- Owner of the Reaper Bakery. Her pies are legend.

This guy is Gregory Graves-the dead guys' only child. His hobby is raising vampire bats! With him is Tara Cardoli-Mystic and fortune teller. Her predictions have been amazingly accurate.

This is all of course part of the fun. If you did not participate in this activity you missed out, it was fun. We had yummy food too. You can find activities like this on the net at: www.mysteries-on-the-net.com

Scouting

2008-11-03T08:54:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures of a recent Scouting Court of Honor. My boys each received some awards. Andrew received a palm which means that after he earned all the required merit badges for his Eagle award he earned five more merit badges. He got the bronze palm. Mike is still working on getting his Eagle. He is two years behind Andrew in age so he is on schedule. I think he is receiving his Personal Management merit badge here.

Is it Flu Season?

2008-11-01T09:15:00.000-05:00

Hi, I have been sick the last two days with the stomach flu. This is the second time in a month. I have been working part-time and on my days off I get sick! It isn't fair! Oh, well, life goes on. I have to work today. We all just do what we can, right? Needless to say I haven't made any cards or scrapbook pages. I'll post something as soon as I get something done.

Coaster box

2008-10-25T22:29:00.000-05:00

Here is a box I made out of coasters. I found them at JoAnn's with the white polka dot on black and colored the dots orange. I then sponged the other side which was white, with the same orange color. I punched holes in the corners to put ribbon through and to tie each side together. I then filled it with Halloween candy. So easy and inexpensive!

Watercolor Technique

2008-10-22T10:43:00.001-05:00

Here is the other halloween card I promised about but forgot. I used the watercolor technique. I stamped the image in basic grey, then colored in the windows and moon with a summer sun marker. I outlined the moon with a pumpkin marker (all SU) and spritzed it all with water until it looked the way I wanted it to. I added a bat brad that I had purchased, with the hardware and ribbon to finish it off. I also used SU's Designer paper "Ghostly Greetings." Hope you like it.

Birthday Card

2008-10-22T10:15:00.001-05:00

I made this because I saw a similar one on splitcoast stampers and I wanted to try it out for myself. I'm kind of stuck on using the riding hood red and pink pirouette inks. I am going to try to use more of the other colors soon. This is an emboss resist technique. I used hologram embossing powder on the first swirls then sponged pink and riding hood red over the page. I then stamped the swirls in riding hood red. The greeting is in black and I used some retired red organdy ribbon and some hardware from the pretties kit to finish it off. Enjoy!

Another Visit from my Grandson

2008-10-22T10:05:00.001-05:00

Hi all, here are yet some more pictures of my family. My DGS and my DD were visiting this weekend and I got some more pictures. I am going to share some of my favorites:

What a cute kid!

He loves books!

Checking out the pepper!

My little sweetheart!

More Family Pictures

2008-10-21T08:27:00.000-05:00

It must be beautiful in Vermont right now. I am from Vermont originally. I miss the colors of the fall season about this time of year. It was pretty in Minnesota this year though. The trees were very bright with reds, yellows, orange, and reds. The leaves are falling though and it is almost over. I wish I had taken some pictures of it all but what I have are cherished pictures of family to show you. Here are some more:

This is a picture of my older sister and I. I am the one on the right. The time is around 1962. How do you like those sun glasses?

Michael just turned 16 this year. Here is a picture of him with his birthday cake. We tried to decorate it like his hand held game thing. I guess I'm not sure what it is called, a ds? Well, the cake tasted good anyway.

Nelson family photos

2008-10-20T10:39:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of our family:

Andrew and Jackson eating together

Mike in his tux for a choir concert:

Halloween Cards/ Sponging and Masking

2008-10-20T10:18:00.000-05:00

Here are some cards I made with a friend and my DD over the weekend. We did two techniques, one is sponging and masking, the other is watercolor.

This is the first card. Another blogger made a similiar card. I changed the background. This is what I did:

1. With Versamark ink stamp your image. I used the tree from the stamp set House of Haunts. Emboss with black embossing powder.

2. Take a post-it note and punch a circle out near the sticky top. Use a 3/4" punch or whatever size you want. I used 3/4".

3. Set the circle aside and use the stencil first. Place the stencil where you want the moon to show and sponge some Summer Sun ink in it.

4. Remove stencil and place the punched circle over the yellow moon to mask it. Then take whatever colors you want and sponge the rest of the paper. I used glossy paper with kiwi kiss, perfect plum, tangerine tango, and pacific point ink.

5. Use a background stamp on your card base. I used the Sanded background stamp and tangerine tango ink on tangerine tango paper.

6. Stamp Happy Halloween in black on your card. Take the Haunting wheel and make a strip to place on a black strip and attach to your card.

7. Punch some kiwi kiss with the word window punch and cut in half. Attach to each end of purple/black strip, add black brads, and attach to card base. Layer your tree image however you want and add to card. I used kiwi and tangerine on a black base with black gingham ribbon. I attached the image with dimensionals.

Hope you like this card! I'll post the other one tomorrow.

Another Day in the Life....

2008-10-18T11:18:00.000-05:00

...of the Nelson's. Beth is visiting this weekend and we have been busy. Last night we had a "scrap booking party" at my house. Beth and I worked on our scrapbooks. She is doing one of Jackson and I am doing a Christmas through the years one. I got 3 pages of size 12x12 done! That means 3 years of Christmas. Woohoo! We also made some Halloween cards yesterday with my friend Kathy. I thought they were cute. I borrowed some ideas from one other blog and from the SU catalog. I will post them tomorrow.

Swirling Leaves

2008-10-15T19:19:00.000-05:00

This card is similar to a card done by another gal, Michelle Zindorf, on another blog that I frequently visit to see what she is up to. She has beautiful artwork and posts the tutorial on how she does them. I tried this one because I think it is so pretty and I wanted to learn her technique. This is what I did: I stamped the swirling leaves in Versamark then Old Olive ink and took a sponge to the edges with Really Rust ink and stamped the image on my paper. I used glossy but Michelle used white. After embossing with clear embossing powder, I masked the moon and sponged the background with Baja ink. Then tore some cardstock and masked across the card and sponged on some Not Quite Navy. Then I stamped some trees on the bottom in Night of Navy, let that dry and stamped again with black trees. After that I sponged some Night of Navy on the edges and followed that with black on the very edge. To finish I stamped the swirling leaves again in Night of Navy just off a little bit to make a shadow. In my editing software I made the colors a little brighter with a little more contrast than my picture actually was so you could see the colors better. It might look a little blurry to you but that is just the shadow effect. The stamp sets I used were Stampin' Up!, Lovely As a Tree and Fall Season, from Inkadinkado.

Top Note Treat Bag

2008-10-15T12:33:00.000-05:00

I made this treat bag last week at one of my uplines classes. We used the Big Shot Top Note to make the topper as you can see. Then we just punched some circles for the eyes and eyelids, added some gel pen marks, and a nose . We didn't put the owl face on the bag until we had stapled the pumpkin top note onto it first in order to hide the staples. The brown top note was trimmed along the stitched lines so it was a bit smaller. What a cute idea! (designed by Dawn Olchefske)

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-12T20:18:00.000-05:00

I was checking out another blog and came across this cute card idea. Rhonda, from rhondastamps.blogspot.com had this on her blog and I thought I would try to make one. I think this card is so fun. Enjoy! ...and thanks Rhonda!

Stamps: Smarty Pants

Paper: white, black, lovely lilac, green galore, going grey

Inks: lovely lilac, green galore, going grey

Accessories: black marker, gel pen, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1" circle punch, word window punch, 1/2" circle punch, dimensionals

Using a Blender Pen

2008-10-11T08:43:00.000-05:00

This card uses the water coloring technique. Simply draw a couple lines of color on your picture using watercolor pencils, and with a moist blender pen draw the color into the rest of the object. Add more color if you wish and do it again, but be careful not to overwork the piece especially if you are not using watercolor paper. Overworking it will cause it to "pill," your paper will start to pull apart. I used whisper white card stock on this. (designed by Dawn Olchefske)

Paper: Orchid opulence, white, bashful blue

Ink: Orchid opulence, black, and stazon black

Stamps: Pretty Amazing, Curvy Verses, Thank you Kindly

Accessories: scallop edge punch, watercolor pencils, blender pens, bashful blue striped grosgrain ribbon (1/2")

A Silhouette Card

2008-10-09T09:53:00.001-05:00

Here is a card I did last night at my upline's technique class. She calls it Moonlighting & Brayered Sky. She uses these stamp sets: Nature Silhouettes, Inspired by Nature, and Sincere Salutations. The colors on the graduated piece are: Bashful Blue, Baja Breeze, and Not Quite Navy. We had a piece of glossy card stock and put a piece of post-it-note on it in the shape of a circle, then brayered over it. I have seen this done all the time but this is the first time I've actually done it. It is fun! (design by Dawn Olchefske)

Busy Week

2008-10-06T22:12:00.000-05:00

I have been so busy lately that I don't have anything to post. Our whole family was sick two weeks ago, and last week I got a new job! (seasonal) So, needless to say I haven't had time to stamp. I have been planning to stamp and there are a lot of ideas in my head but just haven't had the time to put anything on paper. I will try to have something later this week. For now I am going to post another picture of my DGS.

First Christmas Card of the Season

2008-09-29T19:56:00.000-05:00

I am trying to decide how I am going to make my Christmas cards this year. So, I was playing around and came up with this card. To me it isn't quite right. If you look close there is a lot done to it. There is a technique in there too done with tissue paper, crystal effects and reinkers on acetate. I also put some glitter in there. It is really fun and gives you a wow when its done. I'm not sure what people call it. Well, if you want to know more just give me a holler and I will explain what I did. All supplies are Stampin' Up!

I Love Being a Grandma!

2008-09-26T22:53:00.000-05:00

Here is another really cute picture, well, I think it's cute! I've been sick - the whole family has had the flu- this week. I'm working on some Christmas cards that I will post soon. In the meantime here is a picture of my DGS.

He has the kitchen timer in his hands and working really hard to figure it out.

Hello

2008-09-23T09:44:00.000-05:00

I went to Marshall last week to visit my daughter and her little boy. My son-in-law was out of town so we did some baking. It takes a little extra time to do the "special" baking so we had a lot of fun making rolls and breadsticks and such. My grandson really liked the treats! Here is one of my favorite pictures of him. Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Already

2008-09-18T09:48:00.000-05:00

Hi, I don't have any cards to post so I am posting a picture of something I am working on for Christmas. My parents live on the east coast and I have a sister in Colorado that I send gifts to. This year I am giving them a basket of handmade gifts and one of them will be this scrapbook. For my parents I am sending the scrapbook full of pictures of their first greatgrandson. I hope they enjoy it. Here is a picture of two of the six I have made. These are the books that have the fold out sections, so when you open the book it is a lot bigger. I'm sorry I forgot what you call them. I'll find out and post it in a later blog. These are 5" x 5". I decorated them with the SU Christmas memories kit called "I Wish." The colors are old olive, chocolate and real red. I think they are very striking together. I love the way the colors make each other pop! Thanks for looking.

Another Upsy Daisy Card

2008-09-14T21:22:00.000-05:00

I love this stamp set! I like the Bella paper too, so I made another card with it. This one uses a kiwi base, then white layer stamped with red riding hood, and the sentiment in chocolate chip. I also used the scallop edge punch! I punched some holes at the top and wrapped the dp with red taffeta ribbon. Thanks for looking. I will be visiting my daughter tomorrow and her little boy. I'm taking my camera to get some pictures! My grandson is 9 months now and getting around really well. The last time I saw him he was barely crawling. Fun, fun. I'll post again in a couple of days!

Faux Bleaching

2008-09-13T16:59:00.001-05:00

Here is a card I made this afternoon using a method called faux bleaching. I used the Happiness is a journey stamp set. I stamped the train in white craft on black paper and embossed with winter white powder. I then colored it with pastels using mustard, garden green, ruby red, pumpkin and some choc chip. The card is really rust with a strip of mustard. I stamped the words in black. I don't have much time so this will have to do.

September Technique Cards

2008-09-12T09:44:00.000-05:00

These are some cards I made at my upline's technique class in August. I am going to make them with some friends in September. I think they are so cute! There is a surprise in the butterfly one. My UL really used a lot of different products here. If anyone is interested in making these with me, take a minute to e-mail me. I'll be doing them next week!

This card is made with a pink pirouette base and the red riding hood paper and ink. We used the upsy daisy set with pink on white. The piece with the pink pirouette ribbon is the large oval folded over the square with a hole punched through with the crop-a-dile and stuck down. The card is 4 1/4" square.

This card is done with a white base, tangerine, and then kiwi layer. It then has the big shot note topper stamped with the new butterfly set from SU and the Inspired by Nature grass. Like I said, the inside has a surprise. You'll have to be here to make it, to see what it is.

Thanks for looking!

Upsy Daisy

2008-09-11T20:04:00.000-05:00

Here is a card I made with the Upsy Daisy set. I guess I should have used a different designer paper, but I liked the look when I made it. I will be posting some more cards tomorrow that I did with my upline. I used Pink Pirouette for the base, the bella designer paper, Kiwi Kiss ink for the word stamp, and red riding hood ink for the flowers. I put red riding hood ink on a baby wipe and stamped the stamp in it, then on the paper. It gives it a water color look. I also used the new red taffeta ribbon.

It is Cold Outside

2008-09-04T21:12:00.000-05:00

It is in the sixty's today for temperature. We are still getting produce from our garden though! Today I picked a whole bunch of green and yellow beans, some yellow squash, and there are some tomatoes I didn't get to. Sheep manure sure does keep the plants going. I wish I had some spinach and radishes to plant, the weather is perfect for them. Wish I could upload some pictures of my cards for ya but this is my son's computer and my pictures aren't here. Later.

I Won A Prize!

2008-09-03T11:47:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone, I am following up from my last post about the cards I made for the swap. I used the green card and I got voted third favorite. I was very surprised. It seems all the winners had used some green in their cards which I thought was very funny. My boys liked the green card the best so that is what I used. I think people tend to favor some colors more than others. I wonder if it is seasonal? What do you think?

Just so you know, our computer is sick and at the hospital right now. I am on another computer. I will try to post more but can't guarantee anything. I really have to spend some time stamping. I went to my uplines' tech tuesday and we made the most adorable cards. She is very creative. I will try to post them sometime soon.

Oh, I won some paper and ribbon. One can always use more stuff! Thanks to those who voted for my card. Thanks for looking.

Organic Garden

2008-08-26T09:56:00.000-05:00

These are the cards I made. Which one do you like? They are all the same except the color scheme. The recipe is the following:

Stamps: Organic Garden (hostess), Hugs & wishes
Inks: versamark, mustard, red, olive, cocoa

Paper: mustard, glossy, red, olive

Accessories: mustard ribbon, red ribbon (on mustard card), scallop and circle punches

Technique: tearing, versamark resist

Summer is Almost Over

2008-08-25T10:03:00.000-05:00

I received my order last week and didn't have any time to stamp until Saturday. I have to make 22 card fronts for a swap on Tuesday and that's what I have been working on. I made three cards with the same rubber and layout but different color variations. I'll post them tomorrow so you can see them. It was a busy week last week. I hope I have more time to stamp this week. School starts next week for my youngest son. We have a busy schedule this week too. Summer is almost over. September is going to be a hectic month, mostly because the days are different. My allergies are here also. I am allergic to ragweed. My DS #2 has it also. We are both sneezing and such. If my stamping images are blurry it's because it is hard to stamp when you are sneezing! Thanks for stopping by!

What is it about Rubber Stamps?

2008-08-14T23:11:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to stamp some cards and keep getting sidetracked with other jobs around the house. Our garden is doing really well this year and we are getting all kinds of vegetables. I have been canning them so we can eat some of them later. I like canning. It gives me a big feeling of satisfaction. It feels good to reap the rewards of working hard in the garden every year. I love gardening also. But, what is it about rubber stamping that I like so much? I really love creating. Making cards with stamps is so fun and versatile. I can use different colors, patterns, techniques, etc. It is very satisfying also. I had some girlfriends over the other day for lunch and stamping. It was fun. We made some cards after we talked and ate a very filling lunch. I wish I could get them interested in doing this every month. Hummm..............

My SU order is on its way! I can't wait!
That's all for now.
Shari

New Stampin' Up! Catalog!

2008-08-12T21:24:00.000-05:00

I got my new catalog yesterday and hardly had time to look at it. I finally did last night. I like most of the new sets, but there doesn't seem to be very many new sets. Does anyone else think so? I already decided to get some of the sets that are on sale. I want the Snow Swirled, Eastern Blooms, Pocket Silhouettes, and Upsy Daisy. I like the new felt colors and ribbons. What do you think about the new Designer Brads? I like the Vanilla Hodgepodge set. I also just love the new designer papers and simply scrappin' sets! Look for new cards with the new sets later in the month.

The new sets that are on sale are the following:
(they are on sale for 15% off! I'm posting the sale price. I can order them for you too. Contact me.)

111690 pg 32 Snow Swirled $21.21
111586 pg 55 It's a Stretch $20.36
111544 pg 81 Putt Putt $21.21
111626 pg 91 Eastern Blooms $18.66
111672 pg 98 Pocket Silhouettes $16.11
111710 pg 101 Upsy Daisy $16.11
111556 pg 109 Under the Stars $25.46
111644 pg 145 Heard from the Heart $19.51
111570 pg 157 Comtempo Alphabet $ 34.81
109381 pg 23 Felicidades Siempre* $15.26

*from Celebrando Creatividad (the Spanish catalog)

If you don't have a catalog you can always look at one online at www.stampinup.com
If you want a paper catalog I can get you one too. Let me know.

More Cards

2008-08-12T21:12:00.000-05:00

Here are two more cards that I made. You may think that one of them is the same as another one in my last post. If you look more carefully you will see some color changes and the "Love" stamp is on the right side of the card. Which one do you like better? As always, thanks for looking. Shari

Stamps: Serene Spring

Paper: kiwi kiss, pacific point, baja breeze, vanilla, black

Ink: pink, orange, saffron, kiwi, choc, gray, pacific point

Accessories: brads

Stamps: Dreams du jour

Paper: DP Bella Rose, kiwi, riding hood red, pink, white

Inks: kiwi, red, brown

Accessories: pink taffeta ribbon

New Stamp Sets

2008-08-07T13:51:00.000-05:00

I've made a few cards with the new stamp sets I ordered from Stampin' Up! I am a demonstrator so I got some sets early and with a discount. Hope you like them. Feel free to use them for you own personal use.

Here is the recipe: (All supplies Stampin' Up!)

Stamps: Dreams du jour set

Inks: Chocolate chip, Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red

Paper: Pink Pirouette, Bella Rose DP, White, Kiwi kiss

Accessories: White Taffeta Ribbon

Stamps: Dreams du jour

Inks: Chocolate chip

Paper: Riding hood red, kiwi kiss, pink pirouette, white, DP Bella Rose

Accessories: new scallop punch, pink taffeta ribbon

I tried to use the new scallop punch to make a rectangle frame. You can see how it worked. The tools made especially for this work a lot better. I also stamped the butterflies on the DP and cut out. I like the scallop edge on the card. I think the new punch will add a lot to cards. Can't wait to see the new catalog!

My Baby Grandson is so Cute!

2008-08-02T14:14:00.000-05:00

Today I talked to my DD and her baby Jackson was in the background making "small talk". He is so sweet! He is almost eight months now and he is getting up on all fours, getting ready to crawl. It is so fun to watch a baby develop and change. I have some pictures to share. They are when he was younger, but so cute! Thanks for looking.

Cards, Cards, Cards!

2008-07-31T13:45:00.000-05:00

Stampin' Up! is coming out with a new catalog in August. I thought I would post some cards I have made with some of the retiring sets. Thanks for looking.

Rub ons from Sale-a-bration and felt flowers

Hostess set: Spring Solitude

Tart and Tangy

Carte Postale and French Flair

Flannel Plaid (background stamp)

Yeah Disney World!

2008-07-26T13:16:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone, we are back from vacation and everything is fine. We flew to Florida and back to Minneapolis without a hitch! It was pretty good weather in Florida while we were there. We did have two showers while we were at the Disney World MGM studio park though. One hit while we were waiting for the Indiana Jones stunt show and we didn't get to see all of it. Oh well, everything else went fine. We got to see a lot of other shows and eat some good food. Sea World was interesting and very humid. Shamu was doing some amazing jumps and so were the dolphins, but the sea lions show was the most fun. To start they had a pirate mime making fun of people in the audience. He was most entertaining! Well, back to the real world. I'll be posting some more pictures and cards this coming week. Here is one picture of the palm trees in Florida at the resort we stayed at. Thanks, as always, for looking.

Visiting Friends

2008-07-21T11:12:00.001-05:00

Here are some photos from a recent trip to visit with friends and family. We went to Colorado after picking up our son from school. It was a great trip! We drove, and it was a long time in the car, but we made it. The weather was hot, hot, hot! I think my DS#1 and I got a little dehydrated. It is a bit drier climate in the western areas than Minnesota. Here we have so much water it is even in the air! (humidity) I really do like all the "greenness" we have in MN. I also like the fact that we live in the country here. I don't like crowds and a lot of traffic. Denver is so populated! There is so much traffic! I really love my country home.

My sisters' kids are so cute! It was the first time I had been to their new place. I had not met her two youngest either. They are all so sweet! She and her husband are truely blessed.

Thanks for looking.

My Son Comes Home!

2008-07-16T13:50:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry I haven't written anything for a few days. We are preparing for our trip to pick up my son from college. He has been at school for seven weeks in the summer session and can't wait to get home and have a break from school. He'll be home for the fall semester and then go back in January. I like the fact that it will save us from spending more money getting him home for the holidays and back to school again. My youngest son is excited to go on a trip and to see his brother again! Let's just say it is hard being the only one home with the parents.

Our sheep will be looked after by some friends. They are staying at the house too, which is nice. Here are some pictures of one of our lambs. She was bottle fed so she will follow you everywhere. I won't be posting for a while so check back from time to time. I'll be regular again when vacations are all over with. Thanks for visiting.

Shari

A Beautiful Day!

2008-07-12T17:09:00.001-05:00

What a beautiful day it is today in Minnesota. My DH and I went to St. Paul today with a friend. It is windy and sunny.

Last night after the storm went through we went outside and checked for damage from the storm. We lost an older apple tree. It toppled over into the field where our sheep are grazing. They have eaten every leaf and apple that they could reach. Just goes to show that there is something positive in everything. Here is a picture of my grandson. He is so cute!

Birthday Card "two"

2008-07-11T22:15:00.000-05:00

This card is 3"x6". I embossed the solid flower with white embossing powder. The border is a gel pen.

(Supplies all Stampin' Up!)

Stamps: A Beautiful Thing, For a Friend

Paper: Wasabi and White

Inks: Chocolate, Brocade blue, gel pen, versamark

Accessories: White embossing powder, wasabi ribbon

Birthday cards

2008-07-11T22:03:00.000-05:00

Well, here are two cards I did while waiting for my friend to come over and make cards with me. We had a storm go through our area and she lost power at her house, so she stayed home. We only had wind and rain. So, I made my cards and now my friend can make them too! Here they are. Thanks for looking.

Shari

(Supplies all Stampin Up!)

Stamps: Vogue Verses (retired)

Paper: Brilliant Blue, Bashful Blue, Wasabi, Pumpkin and Jersey Shore Designer Paper

Ink: Versamark with White Embossing powder

Accessories: Star punches, Flower punch, fire circle brads and wasabi ribbon

We got rain!

2008-07-11T12:21:00.000-05:00

Today is Friday. Last night it rained hard in our area and our gardens are very grateful. It has been so dry. Our corn is getting high, but our tomato plants are even higher! Our family lives in the country so we have some room to have two gardens. My DH and I love to garden. He likes to plant potatoes and I like tomatoes, green beans, and herbs. We always plant more than that though. I can a lot in the early fall, late summer. Growing plants is so satisfying. It is a lot of work too.
Tonight I will be making some cards. I hope to post them this weekend.
Thanks for looking.
Shari

Bits and Pieces

2008-07-09T13:36:00.000-05:00

It is about time I did this so here I go. I want this blog so I can communicate with family and friends all over the country. Everyone seems to be moving about nowadays. I will be posting journaling, pictures of family, my cards, and quilts, and also whatever else I want to include. Yahoo! My goal is to keep friends and family close, or as close as possible. Thanks for visiting!

Shari