What's on My Kitchen Counter

 It's T-Day over at Elizabeth's where we share something related to drinks. This week I have a fun Peanut Butter and Jelly Ale from Catawba Brewery.  It is fabulous and, of course, my grocery only had the one pack.  I may have to drive to South Carolina and get some more! I also have a  few cards to share - I made one of them a few weeks ago and can't remember if I shared or not.  The flower die on the first card is a current one from Close to My Heart.  I fell in love with it at my aunt's house and had to buy it.  The background is modeling paste added to an embossing folder and smooshed on card stock (by hand).  The butterflies are from DRS Designs - I am having fun with them.  Hope you are having a wonderful week and happy T-day! Hugz, Nancy

Fun Times! I was off half a day yesterday and my Grandsons Lewis and Hollis were over hanging out with my hubby.  Of course, Lewis said, "Let's Make a Card." The Art Piaskownica theme challenge is a Mermaid or the Kraken and Mia's theme at the **Art*Journal*Journey* challenge is fish  so these were the perfect inspiration.  I decided to do a page in my random thoughts journal about age  - mine is a 5x7 mixed media piece mounted on a 6x8 paper.  Lewis decided to do his 5x8 so it would be bigger than mine... funny how boys are.  He hasn't decided what to do with his and had to leave for baseball practice befor we could finish his.   Here is my page. The base is layers:  paper, tape, gesso, gouache paint, glitter.  The kraken tenacles are: layed paper, modeling paste, staws used for the suckers, gouache paint, metalic powder, and liquid pearls.  Here is a picture of as far as Lewis got (he had to go to baseball practice) so you can see the very base of the project.

I love when I get a really good dose of inspiration.  I have been checking out Art Piaskownica lately and their very talented DT and participants.  I got brave enough to try the Mixed Media challenge for June which is to focus on the background which needs to be glued/decopaged.  This scrapbook page is going in Allie's Paris Scrapbook.  I am 3 pages away from being done!   She loves Paris, vintage, and different things, so I know this will be on of her favorite pages in the album (even hubby liked this one).  I started by taking a piece of 6x8 kraft paper.  I glued down some paper from an old March 2017 farm journal paper gifted by my sweet friend, Teresa.  I then glued down two pieces of Close to My Heart paper cut in pieces so I could share the front and back.  To blend it all in a bit better, I added some flowers, a paint loaded butterfly, a bit of white paint, and a lightbulb border.  To build up my picture matting, I added in tea bag leaving on the string, a piece of book pape

Getting in a hurry is getting more dangerous for me.  It used to just frustrate me, but these days I also make more mistakes.  This was supposed to be a beer with vanilla, caramel and other cool flavors but evidently most their beers look the same and I grabbed the wrong one.  I am not really a pale ale fan, but this one ended up being refreshing.  I will drink them, but not be super excited about them. The can is very cool though and could inspire a journal page or card for sure!  It is my ticket to Elizabeth's T-day party.    Quick post this week as I am short on time. I have done a little art lately. This one was for this week's Featured Stamper challenge at SCS where I cased THIS card by Kim.  Some art with my grandsons - we all did quick blobby bird cards: Lewis' card - he added a chicken.  Hollis' card (he did a cat too) - pretty good for 5 don't you think? I also tried a bit of a calendar this month and I am also posting it to **Art*Journal*Journey* as it h

I purchased some vintage stamps on Etzy this week and had to play with them. They remind me of New Mexico where I grew up.  I combined them with SU! Enjoy Life's Wake Up. Kick Butt. Repeat.  I was inspired by this card from Karen (color and cutting up sentiment) and the sketch at Global Design Project (#GDP342). After stamping the images, I fussy cut them, sponged them with Tim Holtz Rusty Hinge (reminds me of the desert colors of New Mexico), and then popped them up on a scored sheet of 4x5.25 white which I also sponged.  Super easy card although cutting around the lizzard legs took a bit of time.  Hope you are having a fabulous weekend. 

I haven't kept up with blogging much lately - lots of overtime at work, baseball games and getting ready for my daughter Allie's graduation.  The graduation is over now, and I have some pictures to share. Allie is in the middle, of course, and her sister, Crystal, is on the right and Crystal's husband, Joey, is on the left.  This is the bouquet I made her with some candy and gift cards tucked in  - the flowers sort of match her school color.  This is one of her fun pictures done on top of a parking garage - I guess that is a thing with grad pictures.... Here is another - can you tell I am proud? Of course, I made a two sided poster to hold up as well. One side is old vintage newsprint with pictures of Allie and hats. The other side is Stamperia Around the world paper with some of the images cut out and popped up.  Since her major is Marketing with an Event, Hospitality, and Tourism speciality, I thought a travel theme would be fun. She liked it.  My ticket to the T-day part