Definition of Family

Hello, friends and family!

I have some fun cards to share today, from the Technique Junkies' July release. 

For all seven cards, the sentiments are from a brand new set Definition of Family, set of 7. 

I hope you find one or two that brings a smile! I had fun working with them!

For this card, I started with a new release background stamp, Abstract Florals. This was stamped onto white cardstock with Versamark Ink, and heat embossed with a pink powder. Using Ink Blending Brushes, the panel was then blended with pink ink. The sentiment was stamped in black ink, then panel and sentiment were matted with a pretty designer paper.

Next up is Dad...once I had the sentiment inked up, I went searching for a cute image to color, and settled on this fun image from Stud Muffins. He was colored with Copics, and a card was quickly finished!

For dear Aunt, or 'Draunt' (lol...), I chose to use a fun older image, Tried Running.

The image was colored with Copics, sentiment was stamped onto card panel, and I wadded up some cling wrap and pounced onto the panel. I wish I'd masked off the Aunt, but alas, I didn't, so she's a bit purpley! (Is that a word?)

Next up is Uncle, or 'Funcle'! This image was also from the Stud Muffins set, and colored with Copic Markers.

The Funpa sentiment was stamped onto a white panel, and adhered to a black card base.

Next, I stamped Father and Son Fishing (an older set), and colored the image with Copics.

Last step was to cut a black frame to place around the image. Done!

For Grandma, the image and sentiment were stamped onto a white card panel, and the image, Morning Joe, was then colored with Copic markers.  Using an Ink Blending Brush, a Damask stencil from A Colorful Life Designs, and some pink ink, Grammy had a background! Isn't she too sweet? 

Last, but never least, is Mom. This image, Coffee Girl was stamped, colored with Copic markers. I had to add some Glossy Accents to her glasses, earrings, and lips! The image was bordered, and mounted onto a panel of designer paper. The sentiment was stamped below her. This panel was then adhered to a blue card base.

Hopefully, you enjoyed these cards - I had a lot of fun looking through my Technique Junkies stamps to create them!

Don't forget that you can save 15% until July 23rd!

Thanks for dropping by,

Patti J.

10-13-23

We have had the pleasure of spending a week with our 7 year old grandson, Nate.

After being active and on the road for several days, we chose to stay home and play in Grammy's craft room today.

Here is the card that Nate made today for something very special:

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Nate and I would love it if you'd leave him some comments on his card!

Have a great weekend,

Patti J. & Nate.

Fun in my girl-cave (CR-office)

Hello out there!

I'm sure you've been wondering where in the world I've been! 

Well, September was a fun and busy month. We met both of our grown kids, and our 4 beautiful, wonderful grandkids at the YMCA of the Rockies, in Estes Park, CO, for several days of family activities.

 We created beautiful art projects together, made balloon rockets, learned about bears, had campfires (with s'mores!), hayrides, rode horses, hiked a bit, shot with a bow and arrow (my first time!), had way too much food, and simply visited. We were ALL together for the first time in over 2 years.

 It was amazing. Our cell phones didn't work, so we were truly off the grid as a family.

Here we are together in nature:

And here are our silly, beloved 'grands':

I will be back tomorrow with some crafty items since we returned!

Have a blessed day - thanks for stopping by!

Patti J.

Family is Everything

Good morning!

I'm sharing a beautiful card today that I have created with a new background stamp, Asian Bamboo Garden, and a great new sentiment, Family is Everything, from Technique Junkies. 

Here is my card:

This was a CAS (Clean and Simple) card to create. I found a pretty Embossing Glaze, and a cardstock to match, stamped the image and sentiment with Versamark Ink, then heat embossed. The focal panel was adhered to the card base, and the sentiment was matted and adhered to panel using dimensional foam.

I hope you're all well, and I'm so glad you stopped by my blog today!

Remember - you can always save 10% on any order by entering TJ10Patti at checkout.

Be sure to head over to the Technique Junkies store and do a little crafty shopping!

Hugs and smiles,

Patti J.

A Short Break...

Hi all,

Just a note to let you all know that beginning today, I will be taking a short break from BlogLand 

to take care of some long overdue family business.

If you don't see my smiling face on your blog comments, that's why!

I'll be back to my regular 'blurfing' in a week or so, and hope

to be able to explain things :)

All is well - no worries!

Hope you have a great week!

Hugs and blessings,

Patti J.

MIA and Loving It!

Good Morning!

No cards to share today....

If you've been wondering why I haven't gotten around to your blogs to comment, it's

because we've been to Vermont for 10 days!

We are so proud of our son-in-law - he graduated last weekend from grad school, and we

were invited to attend his commencement at Norwich University in Vermont.

Of course, we got to spend oodles of quality time with our sweet granddaughter,

who is 16 months old today....

Son-in-law, me, and my DH, with our little sweetie in beautiful downtown Barre, Vermont.

And with our beautiful daughter, who is seen here, enjoying some wonderful

chocolate!

Look at this display...can you blame her for smiling???

Last but not least, look at this sweet smile!

I promise you all 

(with fingers very tightly crossed behind me)

that we did NOT do any spoiling of small children, while in Vermont!

Hopefully, things will be back to normal for us tomorrow. Our last day, we

drove in with a 14.5 hour trip, and it's harder to do that, the older we get!

Seems like I have some jet lag, and we didn't even fly!

See you all soon,

Patti J.

What's new up on our hill?

Happy Friday, everyone!

So....what exactly IS new on Patti J's hillside?

Well, thanks for asking!

I'd been gone a while yesterday, running a multitude of errands, including Wal-Mart.

Sympathy accepted!  Ugh.....can't wait - we are to have a Schnuck's soon,

and I'm so excited that Wally World will have a bit of small town competition!

ANYhoo......as I was saying before I got off subject -

When I got home from running errands, this is what I found on the driveway:

Oh dear....I have not ridden a bike since 1980!

Seriously!

Eeks, they say that one never forgets how to ride a bike - I hope that's true, as it's a lot harder 

at age 60 to get up after a fall than it was at 26, and owies hurt a lot more!

My DH is a keeper - for real!  He is always surprising me with sweet presents!  

My last 'sweet ride' surprise from him was in 2003, when he brought me home a little black 

Z3 convertible for our 30th wedding anniversary.  

I've actually done very well with the Z3 - haven't fallen off of it yet :)

When we get a free weekend, and actually get ON these bikes, I'll be sure to let you know how it goes (or doesn't!!!).

Wish me luck!

Have a great weekend - thanks for stopping by!

Hugs & grins,

Patti J.

I'm keeping him!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wow!

My dear hubby is a keeper!  

He ran to town this morning to get the mail, and came back with these beautiful flowers, AND a box of Russell Stover chocolates (which we will feed our Sunday School group Sunday morning!).

Looking down on arrangement - notice my crafty desk and file cabinet in the photo :)

The bouquet is huge, so I took a photo looking down on them, and then on the kitchen table (which is 48" across) to give an idea of the size.  BUT....what makes it special is what he ordered!

Looking at arrangement from front.

6 Red Roses:

1 for me

1 for dear hubby

1 for our son

1 for our future daughter-in-law

1 for our daughter

1 for our son-in-law

1 Pink Rose:

It's for our sweet granddaughter who may arrive this weekend!  DD and DSIL are both ready to meet her!

4 Yellow Roses:

1 for my mom

1 for my dad

1 for his mom

1 for his dad

Now, you must admit - that's pretty special!!!

Looking at arrangement from back.  Straight ahead, through the doorway is our CRoffice.

After almost 41 years, he is the love of my life, my soulmate, my best friend (sorry ladies!), and I am definitely keeping him!

Thanks for taking time to read my ramblings!

Hugs and blessings,

Patti J.

Ha ha ha...just realized all of the 'crap' in the background of my pics - so sorry!  I should have at least closed the pantry door!  lol...

I'm Back....

Hi there!

Hope that you are all well, and off to a great week.  I've been gone for a week, so if I haven't been by to see you, it's due to no internet where I was.

DS moved last week.  DH went out for a week and helped him move out of his old house, and I went out and helped him on the settling in to his new house. He's been living in Los Angeles for several years, but was transferred up to the San Jose area.

I so enjoyed the weather there - stayed about 68-75 degrees.  Felt wonderful after our 90's and 100's for the last 30 days, and it was so good to see DS.  When the 'kids' were growing up, we never thought they'd live so many states away from us.  If you have young ones at home, cherish every single day with them!

With good luck, I'll be back to normal later today or tonight!

Thanks for being patient with me....

Hugs & blessings,
Patti J.

A Pretty "Share"...

Hi folks!

Just a very quick post - promised you a pretty share today...here it is!

DD sent me some gorgeous flowery birthday wishes, and I want to share them with you.  I waited to late to take the photos and can't get good lighting anyplace in the house, but I think you will get the idea :)

Thanks again for all your well wishes!

Back tomorrow - business as usual.

Have a good night!  Back to planting tomatoes and peppers...

Hugs, Patti J.

I Miss You...

I have a 'repeat' card for you today. This was for a challenge a while back that called for a photo to be used. I used a photo that our dear daughter took while looking up at the Gateway Arch, in St. Louis, Mo., one cloudy day. It seemed perfect for the "I miss you" sentiment.

DD, Melissa, is a wonderful photographer. In my humble opinion, she can take a photo of the head of a pin, and make it look like art. I thought this photo only fitting for today's post.

December 8, 1999, was one of the roughest days that I can ever remember. After a very terrible and lengthy battle with cancer, my sister and I lost our dear mother, and our children lost a very special grandmother. I think that we all knew on Thanksgiving that year, that our time with her was very limited, and I also think that was when our prayers began to change. I think, as with any horrible illness, one's prayers change from hoping this treatment, or that treatment will work to add quality and quantity of life, to knowing that they won't, and praying that your loved one's suffering will soon end, and they will be called home. In our case, our latter prayers were answered at 8:30 a.m., on this day 11 years ago. We miss you, mom!

I am not posting this story to bring anyone down today, but to share with you all something that I received in the mail at Christmas in 1999. Although it brought a tear or two, it was such a bright spot in my day that I wanted to share it with you. Perhaps it will help one of you that may be going through a tough time this Christmas.

I'm Spending Christmas with Jesus This Year

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below,

with tiny lights, like Heaven's stars reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away your tear.

For I am spending Christmas, with Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear,

but the sounds of music can't compare with the Christmas choir here.

I have no words to tell you, the joy those voices bring,

for it is beyond description, to hear an angel sing.

I know how much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heart,

but I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year, not apart.

I can't tell you of the splendor, or the peace here in this place.

Can you just imagine Christmas with our Savior, face to face?

I'll ask Him to light your spirit as I tell Him of your love,

so pray one for another, as you lift your eyes up above.

So please let your hearts be joyful, and let your spirits sing,

for I'm spending Christmas in Heaven, and I'm walking with the King.

~Author Unknown

I hope your day is delightful! It's still very cold here, but thankfully, no snow or ice yet!

Hugs and blessings to all...Patti J.