Summer Fun

Are you enjoying your summer, doing lots of fun things outdoors?  We took in an All Star Baseball game last week at the Durham Bulls Ballpark.  So much fun!  Perfect weather.  Nice and cool with a steady breeze.  Someone wore shorts and complained about cool legs...not me.

Lots of people were eating peanuts and cracker jacks, popcorn and hot dogs.  But you guessed it...not me!

Tiny tot came and spent a weekend, and ate all the things his daddy says he won't eat, like ice cream, and cheese, and potatoes.  I suspect the key is letting him pull up his stool and participate when you're preparing his twice-baked potato, including shredding the cheese and mashing with a fork, or filling the gluten free ice cream cone with Breyer's French Vanilla ice cream.  He didn't know the cone was GF, but it didn't matter since he wouldn't eat it anyway.  He ate his weight in steak, several times, and then asked for pizza afterward.  Kids! 

And when he says he doesn't eat bacon, ignore him.  Then sit back and watch him eat 5 strips along with his eggs which he also doesn't eat, and toast.  Amazing how close those tiny teeth can come to the crust without ever touching it.  Maybe it was all that homemade grape jelly his great grandmother made.

We drove to Wilson to view a home on the historic preservation list that's for sale.  Oh my.

We own 4 cars and have a 2-car garage on the first floor and another on the basement level of our current home.  That tiny little 2-car garage behind this house just isn't big enough.  Think we can sell 2 of the 3 convertibles?  Me neither.

And yes, I love that brick courtyard on the side and the screened-in porch.  But I also love my 2nd floor deck with the pergola and ceiling fan just as much.

Am I impressed with that brick wall that surrounds the entire corner lot?  You better believe it!  But will my yard man come to Wilson to keep it looking like this?  Not so sure, but it's definite that neither of us wants to take on that project on a regular basis.

Ah, to dream...

Remember my little friend in FL who promised to share her sheet music books?  Well she came through big time!!  Oh Danielle, you're a wonder!

I was clever enough to photograph it before I opened it, but then I was too busy checking out the huge bag of buttons she sent me and rifling through the pages of the 4 huge volumes of music to think about the camera.

So do come back for a quick visit later this week to see them in all their glory as I start preparing my kits for Stampaway classes.  You won't be disappointed.

Stampfest Part Two

I've finally recovered from my trip to Florida and back.  Working in the Just For Fun booth was as much fun as ever.  This is Shayla who visits me every year for the Friday Night Make & Take Party as well as both days for the make & takes in the JFF booth.  Seriously, she's been coming for about 6 years now and this time, she warned me she's in training to replace me!  Can you see that blue in her hair?  There were 3 gals with that very shade of blue in their hair although all of them swear they started out with a different shade, and no, they didn't know one another.

This is Shayla with her Mom and Grandmother.  Not sure where her Aunt Paula is, but trust me, these 4 gals can cover a convention, repeatedly, for 2 days, and every time they pass by, they're still smiling, always taking a minute to stop and chat, and shop!  Great customers and great friends. 

See what I mean about the blue hair?   Not sure if this is a FL thing or not, but I haven't seen it here in NC.

Leslie and Carolyn look pretty happy, don't they?  A couple of brave souls who played in class with me and survived to visit the booth afterward.  Real troopers!

This is Karen who comes to play each year, and every year I tell her she has a twin in Apex NC who was a nurse in my doctor's office.  Wish I knew how to contact Cindy to show her this photo.

Pardon the blurred passerby, but I wanted you to see that smile.  Standing in line for a chance to make a card isn't the most fun you'll ever have at a rubber stamp convention, but these ladies are real troopers.

This is Danielle who told me about a great find on sheet music books, so fingers are crossed that she's really going to send me a box through the mail.

Tracy took my card making class and came by the booth on Saturday to tell me how much she'd enjoyed the class.  But more importantly, she brought along 2 of the cards she'd made, telling me she'd stayed up until 2 am putting her own spin on the technique.  I was busy with the make & takes but now I wish I'd taken a photo of her cards while I was snapping this one of her jewelry which matched her outfit so beautifully.

Now don't they look happy?  Wish I'd taken a good photo of the seahorse cards they were making all day on Sunday.  Unfortunately my one attempt was too blurry to show.

Wish you could've been there to play with us.  Truly.  You'd have been smiling too, playing with all those markers, making a nice card or two and resting your weary self before bouncing up to do a bit more shopping.

I was smiling on Saturday morning, but I was totally sleep deprived.  I'd taught a class on Friday from 12-2 followed by a second class from 3-5, and then without lunch or dinner I was back downstairs at 6:30 to lead a table for the make & take party.  Trust me, I didn't look any better on Sunday morning since Bonnie & I went to Buffalo Wild Wings after midnight for my very late supper.  And if anyone tells you their mild sauce is mild, run fast and far, because it's not true!    Makes my eyes water even now, just thinking about it.

See Leslie and Carolyn down at the end of the table?  This was during my card making class with 20 brave souls who swore they enjoyed the class and the techniques.

There's Danielle at the end of the table and Tracy 2 seats from the end.  That intense blue must be her signature color.

If you're a stamper you'll understand that sometimes you just have to stand up.

See what I mean?  Wish I'd taken photos in my other 2 classes, but alas, I was running around, setting out supplies, too busy with way too much ink on my hands to grab a camera. 

Thanks to all who came to play.  Hope you had as much fun as me!

Stampfest with Just For Fun Rubber Stamps

There's one great thing about visiting Orlando at the end of June each year, and that's all the great friends you get to play with over the course of 4 days. 

My roommate this year was Bonnie, sitting right below me on the right, and what a funny little bird she turned out to be.  Sure hope she's my roomie next year!

Don't you just love this card?  This was our make & take project at the Friday Night Party where about 120 brave souls raced from room to room, table to table, in an attempt to complete all the projects while still leaving time for divine cakes served out in the covered courtyard area.

Here's that very same card but with a totally different color palette, one I think I actually prefer.  Of course I had to bring this stamp home with me.

This tree and flower were my favorites at the Just For Fun booth.  They had other sample cards on display in the booth, but the colors on this one stole my heart.  Brought these home too.

 

 

 

This new Stamptangle apple was available in 2 sizes; I chose the smaller of the 2.  You know you love it as much as I do; admit it!

Another new image, also available in 2 sizes, and again I went with the smaller of the two.  Love the sample card made by Sandy where she layered the pumpkin.  Have to try that myself.

This one is a favorite from last year.  I bought it to stamp in black over one of my background creations, but don't you love it with all that detailed color?

How much do you love this card above?  The image was repeated to create that background.  Yes, I got one of these too.

I didn't get any of the chicken stamps, but just check out the difference it makes in the one with the zebra stripes when you add different colors.  Amazing.

Aren't all these samples fabulous?  Debby and Rick have a great team of worker bees creating these and hundreds more which are displayed beautifully in their booth.  If you're coming to the Winston Salem NC show on July 19th, bring your camera!  You're always welcome to take photos for inspiration.  Just as I've done with all these and more.

And this is Jackie, the Queen who designed all these Stamptangle images.  What a creative mind!


I'll be back with more photos from my classes and the gals who came by the booth on Saturday & Sunday for my make & take cards.  So many lovely people made me forget about the humidity and heat and those thunderstorms outside while we stayed inside to play.