Gingham or Plaid

That's the challenge this week on the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog. I am on a tear trying to create  OWH Any Hero cards. I need to have as many available as possible for our Annual Shrimp Boil a week from Saturday. Instead of singing for their supper, our guests are expected to write a thank you note to a service person for their supper.

With that thought in mind, all my challenge cards this week have been Patriotic themed. When I was choosing the right image, this one made me think of the Ticker Tape parades for heroes. The image is called Unwrapped and can be found at the Phindy's Place Store. I'd give you the specific link, but I'd rather you hunted for it, so you get a chance to see all of her great images. I've paper pieced his pjs, and colored the rest of the image with Copics.

The digital papers are from the kit by Clementine from My Grafico called Star Spangled Sketches. I used the sketch for this week's Tuesday Morning Sketches.
Off to get this entered, I have 5 more of these to put together.

Thanks for stopping by.

Let's Build a House Gran

It's SMT time on Sassy Cheryl's Blog, and this week I decided to share my latest construction project. MM asked me last Friday if we could build a house out of cardboard. Well his idea and mine didn't quite match. He wanted a house big enough for him, and I wanted something small enough to manage. I won.

With my Make the Cut software, some chipboard, printed digital papers, this is the house that we built. MM's job was to glue the nail the board(glue the paper) to the the walls. We even used transparency to give the windows a real feel. The fun and easy part was the shingles. Notice the doorknobs. They're shank metal buttons.

Now here's the mess that was left after the construction project. Never fear, it's been cleaned up and at least two messes have been left since.

Finally I ended my week last week with a boat ride to an outdoor symphony. If you've never heard of the American Wind Symphony Orchestra, please click on the link. It's an amazing organization and the head of it and the conductor is a man by the name of Robert Boudreau. He's 85 years old, and he's been taking this floating symphony on the rivers of the world for 55 years. I went with my walking buddy and her DH. Since it was just across the river from our houses, we went by boat, which meant we got home a lot faster than if we'd had to contend with the automobile traffic.

This picture was made around 8 p.m. as the sun was making it's way down. My walking buddy said the concert got a lot better once the sun went down. It ended with a great medley of Patriotic music and fireworks. So for me it was an early 4th of July celebration.

Let's Celebrate Red, White and Blue At Sassy Cheryls

This week the challenge at the Sassy Cheryl's Challenge Blog is Red, White and Blue. It's perfect for me, since I'm trying diligently to get a stash of Any Hero cards ready for our Shrimp Boil on July 7. It's a captive audience and a write for your supper.

I've actually got two other sets of cards done that would have qualified for the challenge, but you know how I am. I have to use a Sassy Cheryl's image. I was all set to use the new Bella Honors the Fourth image, when lo and behold this morning, Cheryl had two new images up for sale. One of them was this adorable and totally perfect image called Sassy Sally Honors the Flag.  I've colored her with Copics.

The papers are from a digital kit called Star Spangled Paper by Clementine from My Grafico. The sketch is last week's sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketches.

Here are the other two cards I've worked up. I have all the parts cut to do multiples, just have to assemble them.

The flag card flags are from a digital kit from Just So Scrappy 2 called , and the small squares on the Where Liberty Dwells Card is from the Patriotic Brad Freebie from DCCreations and the paper is from the Patriotic Papers from DCCreations at Enchanted Dream Boutique. Both sentiments were created by me.

Thanks for stopping by. Now I'm off to do my assembly line thing.

More Beach Babies

One of my favorite things about the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog is that you're able to enter up to three cards per challenge. Since my cards are for Operation Write Home, it's an incentive for me to create more than one. Of course, Phindy's images are so fun to work with, and as a plus, if you use a Phindy's image you get two entries. Now tell me just how can you lose?

For my second entry, I had to go back to one of my favorite Summer Cuties from the Phindy's Place  Store called Seaside Baby. Doesn't she look like she's making a splash? She is colored with Copics.

The papers for this card are also from Just So Scrappy 2 digital kits By the Sea and Pool Time. I created the Word Art in Make the Cut, and did a print and cut.

The sketch is from Sketches by Carly, and it worked perfectly for that umbrella to protect that tender skin.

Well, I got two cards done, and I'm happy with both of my cards. Thanks again for stopping by.

Beach Babies

The challenge this week at the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog is Beach Babies.  A perfect theme for this time of the year, with summer arriving and folks headed to the beach.

My first entry is using this delightful image from the Phindy's Place Store, called Daring Diver. I've actually seen some swimmers recently that look just like her. I've colored her with Copics and had a great time doing it.

The papers are digital and from two kits from Just So Scrappy 2. One kit is called Pool Time and the other is By the Sea. The word art was a part of the By the Sea kit, and I think it was perfect for the card. How many of us have fond memories of vacations at the beach as a child..

As usual, I'm the last minute getting my cards entered, but I sure didn't want to miss a challenge. Phindy's is one of the few challenge blogs that allows for multiple entries and double entries just for using a Phindy's image. My question is why wouldn't you use a Phindy's image. They all resonate with me.

Thanks for stopping by and come back soon, because I have another card for the challenge.

It's a Family SMT This Week at Sassy Cheryl's Blog

Sassy Cheryl had a two week SMT this week due to her son graduating from High School. She did say we could post each week and get a double entry. Winners get a free Sassy Cheryl image, and whether you win an image or not, if you'll blog hop the entrants you'll get the chance for winning in another form, friends, ideas and beautiful scenery. So  hop on over to Sassy Cheryl's Blog and get in on the fun.

This week I'm sharing what's been going on with MM this week. One of the things his DM has insisted from the time of his birth is that he would know his Mississippi family. To that end, she and her DH have been bringing MM home regularly since he was two months old.

This summer we've been making sure that MM is getting to know his 2nd cousins that are closest to him in age. Our niece on my DH's side came down Saturday with Coleman, her 21 month old and DD, MM, my niece and Coleman went to see our niece that gave birth to DH's namesake in May. So here are pictures of some of the younger 2nd cousins. DD was supposed to get a picture of MM holding Charles, but she said none of them were cooperative, so it was a rug shot.

Then late Saturday afternoon, MM and Coleman went jumping on MM's trampoline. The funniest thing was Coleman trying to escape from the inside of the trampoline net. Once out, he wanted right back in.

Then yesterday, I took MM to Tupelo, as one of the nieces on my side of the family has a son that is 9 months older than MM and then had a second baby almost two weeks ago. I got to spend some time holding the newest member of the McLemore clan and then took MM, and his cousin, Brayden out to lunch and then to see Madagascar 3 in 3D. I figured out real quick that shopping with two in booster seats that had to have help with the seat belts wasn't a good plan in 90* temps.  My sister and my niece informed me that baby Brycen wasn't sleeping, but I'd say he's pretty much out cold in this shot.

This was shot was funny because I had asked MM and Brayden where they wanted to eat lunch and the both did the shoulder shrug at the same time.

And finally this is a picture of the three boys taken right before MM and I left for home.

It's a Birthday Celebration Challenge

This week the challenge on the Sassy Cheryls Challenge Blog is to create a project for a Birthday Celebration. Sassy Cheryl is so generous and doesn't require that you use a Sassy Cheryl image, but if you do, you get two entries in the challenge.

For my birthday card, I had to use this new image from the Sassy Cheryls Store called Peyton the Bumbling Bear. I've colored her with Copics.

The papers are from my stash box, but they're digital that I printed at some time or another.   The sentiment is a circle sentiment is from Scrap-a-licious Times. Her sentiments are free and are really wonderful.

Father's Day for Phindy's Place

This week's challenge at the Phindy's Place Challenge Blog is to create a Father's Day or Masculine card. I have to say that masculine cards are not the easiest for me, but  I had a purpose for this one.

When I was looking for an image to use in my Phindy's Place folder, I came across this image called Bubble Gum. As you know, MM  and his parents are here for the summer and staying at our camphouse. His parents are working from home, thus giving him a whole summer in Mississippi before starting kindergarten in August. He's been coming to our house every afternoon, after daycare and we play baseball EVERY day. It never gets old with him, and it wears me out, because I'm laughing so hard. This image reminds me of MM, because, he's dressed in shorts, t-shirt and baseball cap. His shorts are usually camouflage as is his baseball cap, so I paper pieced them. His t-shirts can be any combination with the camouflage. 

I took tickets that Scrapalicious provided free, and removed the sentiments and added my own. The camouflage paper is from Summer Driggs  Courage Kit and the baseball papers are from the Let's Play Baseball Freebie Kit from Sprouting Seeds Studio.

My Saturday for SMT 79

It's time for another SMT on the Sassy Cheryl Blog. If you're a regular reader here, this is a chance to share with friends and bloggers what is happening in your corner of the world. Not only do you get a glimpse of other's crafting, crafting spaces, but it's also a time to get a glimpse of other places outside your little corner of the world. Oh and I forgot to mention, you're also in the running for a free Sassy Cheryl's image, so just how can your lose?

I love to think that I'm a person of diverse interest(think this is a nice way of saying I can't stay focused on any one thing too long). This past weekend, three of my buddies and I went to Sylacauga, Alabama to kayak Lake Howard and hike some of the trails adjacent to the lake. I loaded two kayaks and drove over to Birmingham Friday, to spend the night with one of my friends. We got to spend time together with a lunch out and some shopping and then back to her house for some time in her pool with another member of the kayaking party whose a neighbor. We loaded Carol's kayak, and then her DH grilled steaks to put a perfect end to a fabulous day.

Saturday morning we were up at 5:30, brushed our teeth, donned our clothes and were out the door at 5:45. Quick stop to pick up Jules, who was waiting for us at the curb in front of her house, and we were on our way. We did have to make one stop at McDonald's for a latte for me(my day doesn't get going without one) and coffee and  oatmeal for them We pulled up in the Walmart parking lot in Sylacauga at 7:02 to meet up with the fourth of the kayaking musketeers, and then we were on our way to Lake Howard. Lake Howard is the water supply for the city of Sylacauga, so boats are allowed, but no swimming, no skiing and no jet skis.  Here's a picture of the Lake along with the hiking and boat trails adjacent to the lake.

Red line indicates kayaked waters and blue line indicates hiked trail(about 3 miles)

It was a perfect day with lots of cloud cover, so that the sun wasn't beating down on us and it wasn't too hot. This is  a picture of the cloud cover which was most unusual.

First off was kayaking, because if you don't want to be contending with the effects of paddling into the wind, it's a smart move to be on the water as early as possible(let me interject at this point, that we weren't early enough). Gail, the fourth of the musketeers says she learns something on every trip. This time she learned about paddling into the wind, and no matter what direction you're going the wind seems to change and blow in your face. So here's a picture of my 3 co-harts in crime.

There are no houses around the lake. This with the fact that the lake is fishing, canoeing and kayaking only makes it one of  the most pristine clean areas I've ever seen. There was no trash or debris anywhere.  This next picture is a picture of a huge rock formation we went by and one of a Great Blue Heron in flight.

 

The kayak run back to the dock had all of our arms feeling like jello. It didn't stop us from the second part of our adventure which was hiking the trails around Lake Howard. We opted to do a short 3 mile hike, which was in and around the Ridge Loop. This is a picture I snapped along the trail.

By the time we got back we had been exercising for 3 1/2 hours and were ready for lunch, so we hit a great Italian Restaurant, before doing a little antiquing. Then it was back to Birmingham to drop off Carol and Jules, and another couple of hours to home. My son-in-law had cooked dinner, and thank goodness we were invited, because I was way too tired to cook.

We're already planning our next trip which is going to be a two day adventure.

SMT 78 and Entertaining the Grandson

It's that time of the week again, where if I don't get my post done pretty darn quick, I'm going to miss out on a Sassy Cheryl's image.  The challenge is called Show Me Thursday on Sassy Cheryl blog. She usually shares something she has in the design process, and then asks that we share something we have going on in our lives. It doesn't have to be a card. Now winning an image is great and wonderful, but if you really want to enjoy yourself, you really need to go pop in on the blogs of the other entrants. You get a wonderful incite to their lives and their cultures. It's just as much fun as winning the image in my opinion.

OK, enough of that. As many of you know our DD#2, her DH and our grandson MonkeyMoo(MM) have arrived for the summer. DD and her DH will telecommute to work, and give MM a chance to spend a long summer vacation in Mississippi before he starts kindergarten in August. They're putting him in day care 3 days a week, and we'll watch him the other two. That way DH and I will still have time to do our own thing, but I have to say that if the pace doesn't slow down some, Grandpa and I might not survive the next two months.LOL Here are pictures of what we've been doing this week either on Sunday or after  he gets home from daycare.

Sunday started with some soccer practice. At least he had his tennis shoes on and not his boots.

He's going to wear us out playing baseball and chasing the balls he hits.

Hope this doesn't horrify some of you, but hunting is a big thing for his Grandpa, and he wants MM to be brought up knowing gun safety. MM is actually amazingly good at this.

A regular sharpshooter with 3 bulls eyes and two in the white circle.

He's been riding on the tractor with Grandpa since he was two months old, but he's about to the point there's not enough room.

It's a Sketch at Sassy Cheryls

I love a sketch challenge, since finding a sketch is almost the first thing I do when creating a card. With a sketch challenge, I've cut down on  my decision making. So thank you Sassy Jackie, for this week's challenge theme on the Sassy Cheryls Challenge Blog. I do appreciate it.

The next thing I did was go looking for an image. I have a stack of images printed out and on my desk, so I was quite happy when I found this one from the Sassy Cheryl's Store. She's called  appropriately enough Farmer Sally. With fresh tomatoes in the very near future, I decided she was just the right image to use.

The papers are digital and from a kit from Raspberry Roads called the Farmers Market Collection. Perfect for the image don't you think.

Well I better wrap this up. I'm running way behind and need to get this up and loaded over on the challenge blog. MM's arrival has kind of interfered with my crafting time. See you soon.