A beautiful Fathers' Day!!!

Hello everyone...what a GORGEOUS day here in Michigan.
It's warm and partly sunny...it's beautiful to me!!!
AND it's Fathers' Day...but unfortunately my hubby is sick with what we think is a kidney stone. Very painful!!! So he is not having a fun day and there's not much we can do about it.
AND we can't go anywhere either.
All our kids are out of state so we can't even have anybody come over (sigh). For me, that's the worst part, except for hubby being sick of course!

So, we've spent the weekend at home and except for taking the time to make dh comfortable, I have pretty much  spent my time making a card and re-doing my stamps.
I LOVE to organize and when my stash kind of outgrows its designated space, I love to re-think and re-do. I found a wonderful scrapbook outlet store that opened just a few months ago. It's a few miles away from me but OMG the deals!!!! She has tons of stuff..and everything is at a great price!!! IT'S LIKE GOING TO A GARAGE SALE!!! I spent several hours in there the other day and came out as happy as a kid with a whole bag of new toys...

So anyway, I bought STUFF... and now I'm reorganizing my stamps and a few other spaces to make it all work the way I like it. I am a very messy stamper...but I have to start with a clean slate. When I get done with a project I clean everything up and then drag out all the stuff I will need for my new art.

So that's me, working in my little corner of the world.

On to this card: My inspiration came from Peet Roeven (http://scrapalbum.blogspot.com/)  I want to give credit where credit is due. I loved her card so much. 

The first layer is white but I colored the design with blue chalk ink (Cuttlebug folder)
The next layer is matted with orange cardstock and the background stamp is Hero Arts,
stamped with Stampin' Up's soft suede. That is the best background color ever!!!
The next layer is kind of an off-white design paper that I stamped and embossed with white flourishes
on the bottom and top. Cut out and then edged with magenta chalk ink. I was disappointed because the embossing is not very visible but looks much better in real life.
The two hearts are stamped with a stamp from Stamps by Judith.
I stamped by putting orange and magenta on the stamp.
I used the same technique on the stalks and leaves. They are stamped with two colors of green.
A hand cut strip with the sentiment stamped in navy blue. (stamp is from my stash)
The little ribbon is one I had from long ago with orange, magenta and blue on it.
How appropriate is that?

Here's the challenges:
http://embellishmagazine.com/blog/
http://theplaydatecafe.blogspot.com/
http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.com/2011/06/simon-says-lets-play-bingo.html
I chose shape, ribbon & sentiment.
http://www.lilypad.inlinkz.com/2011/06/10/may-arts-presents-a-ribbon-challenge/

Thank you so much for stopping by.
Have a blessed week,
e

Proud Grandma to a Michigan Tech Grad!!!

Our oldest grandson graduated with honors from Michigan Tech.
We are so PROUD of him... He is a really outstanding young man and because of that we know that not all our country's young people are having trouble finding their place in life.
He graduated Summa Cum Laude and is going on to MIT in Massachusetts to get his PhD as a chemical engineer.  He is only 19!!!  I never even went to college, but our daughter and her hubby have done a wonderful job with their kids and all of them are pressing forward to go to college...YAY!!!

Soooo, I am making him an 8x11 album with his graduation and Open House photos...
Thought it would be a good thing for him to be able to look back later and remember this wonderful time in his life. He really enjoyed college, even though he really worked hard. It was his first time away from home too...but most of the time kids need to be away so that they can learn to be on their own. I know some kids aren't ready right away like that, but he was.

Well, enough bragging...now about this layout:

Background is a beautiful flourished,blue design paper.
Picture is on a blue mat with a CONGRATULATIONS stamped in gold on the side.
I have had this stamp forever.
Under the picture is a stamp in gold with the words: "Nothing is impossible with God".
The colors of Mich Tech are gold and silver so I put a Martha Stewart edge around the navy mat.
The edge was cut in white and inked in silver.
There is a Hero Arts flourish on the side. I LOVE it...looks very rich.
It is stamped in navy and colored over with Sakura glitter pen in silver.
The left corner flourish is a Cricut cut from "Storybook".
I did some writing on the side and bottom between the gemstones.
The writing says: "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God"

I entered this into the Hero Arts challenge for June (congratulation)
and http://stamptacularsundaychallenge.blogspot.com/ which is for Dads & Grads.

I am still working on his book, so I will probably have a few more favorite pages to show.

Thank you so much for stopping by,
please leave me a note and let me know you were here.

Be blessed,

e