Eat Your Veggies!

Hello stampin' friends - what ones I have left anyway! I have been out of commission and under corrugated for about a month. I have been in the new house for a month exactly and have made some great headway, but unpacking everything by yourself while you're working more than full time is a challenge! Finding my stamps and more importantly the INKS has been more of a challenge! So needless to say, I have not been able to find all my supplies and since this house is 1000 square feet smaller and 1 bedroom down from our old home in Oregon, finding a place to create will be yet another challenge.

This card is one I made for Granddaughter Iyla before I moved from my temporary corporate apartment downtown to the new house in Mill Creek. I loved the chipboard veggies with faces and thought she would too! Cosmo Cricket made it easy and again, my simple venue holds out! I hope you won't give up on me and totally delete your link to my blog. I may have some storage challenges ahead of me, but I have been to the Container Store and there is HOPE! Have a wonderful Memorial Day holiday. Hopefully it is summer somewhere, because I am not sure we will HAVE a summer this year in the Northwest!

PS - do you LOVE my new background? Pink buses! Now that I am out in the" burbs" I am a commuter! And I get on the bus for downtown Seattle every morning about 6 AM. I love the ride! You can read, listen to music, visit with co-workers who live in your vicinity! And ride in the fast lane! So when I saw the bus wall paper, I felt I had to have it! TTFN!

Amazing Love!

I made this card for Daughter #2's Easter. What an amazing love God has for us! I used some Basic Grey designer paper, a punch out heart and this amazing sentiment, a verse from Isaiah. It is a pretty simple card, but the verse was such a profound truth, I wanted it to take the stage.

On an encouraging and relieved note, the house here in WA closed today, keys tomorrow, movers 8 AM Friday and I will be sitting with my feet up watching the Hallmark channel on Friday night! Sure, right, among the boxes and chaos! I am so thankful to the Lord for all He has given and designed especially for us. Of course, it is minor compare to His amazing love and sacrifice!

TTFN! Artha

Posies on Parade

Happy Tuesday! We are down to the wire on closing on both houses! YAY!! I may be mowing my lawn - all 5 strips of it by Saturday! I can't wait! I just need to get utilities turned on and movers to pull up and unload!

This card is one I made for my MIL who recently had open heart surgery. It is simple to the max using scraps and 3 PTI flowers and a simple sentiment! Can't beat the simplicity of it and guess what? It is in the mailbox!

Hope your Wednesday is the best day of your week!

TTFN!

Artha

Flower Power!

We passed the inspection! Finally! Now things are rolling on! Hopefully I will be moving into the new house this weekend! How exciting! AND I get to learn to ride the bus!

Today's card is the standard Artha to the mailbox and beyond! Using die cuts and scraps and a Verve! sentiment.

Hope your week is off to a GREAT start!

TTFN!

Artha

Happy Easter! He is Risen Indeed!

Happy Easter, peeps! I hope you have enjoyed at least one peep of your own or 1/2 a chocolate bunny! This Easter is the first in 34 years, that I have been by myself and without family. It is just one more of the inconveniences in this transition - but it is only for a season and so I look forward to this week for all the closings and moving IN the new house AND for just a flash in the pan for when Jeff will be done with his last school year in Southern Oregon and joins me in our new home.

Today's card is just a simple thank you - I made about 12 yesterday for all the friends who helped me last weekend in the moving sale. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of all but 2 of them and I have already addressed and licked the envelopes! Darn it! Oh well, you will just have to believe me that they were quick, cute and in my usual mode of off the table and in the mailbox! The photo is not the greatest as the lighting is not stellar today and I am still not the best photographer with my iphone. The chipboard chicks are from Cosmo Cricket! Love that stuff! Scraps of paper and a quick pre-stamped sentiment (keep in mind I stamp a huge amount of scraps with a variety of sentiments so that I can just stick them on to fit the occasion!) Some of Martha Stewart's seam binding ribbon - love IT because I am remedial in bow tying and for some reason this seam binding allows me to tie me a great bow !

I hope your Easter has been full of celebration and time with people you love, doing things you enjoy!

Since I am supposedly moving INTO the new home mid-end of this week, my posting may be limited.

TTFN!

Artha

Livvy G!

THIS is Alivia Grace, affectionately known as Livvy G! Today has been a very tough day but when I look at this little face, life all falls into place, I gain perspective and what is truly important is very clear. I thought maybe someone else could use a smile today. I hope your week has started well, is buzzing along smoothly and will bring you to an amazing celebration of the most wonderful and indescribable gift of Jesus Christ's amazing sacrifice on our behalf! Happy Easter!

Time for Tea!

Happy Monday! I needed a cup of tea when I came home tonight! It was another break neck paced day! Tomorrow I am going home to OR for the first time since Feb 4 and the last time before we call WA our new home. I am anxious for stability and all the paperwork to be completed, signed off and filed. I have collected teapots for years and have too many, but several favorites from our trips to England and France. I am trusting the moving company to pack them right and gently for a safe arrival in WA. I will be moving into the new house on April 30. Again, the Lord has been gracious and everything has just come together flawlessly and covered with His gracious favor.

This card is made with one of my all time - and indeed it might be my BEST all time favorite from Papertrey Ink. There are so many occasions which this set can fit - so flexible and I use it frequently. This particular card I sent to my recovering from open heart surgery MIL with 2 green peach tea bags. I may be incognito for my days in OR, but will try to post as I am able.

Have a great week!

Artha

Beautiful Daffodils!!!

Happy daffodils! Today we had the inspection on the NEW house and things went very well. Afterwards, we drove north to La Conner, WA, a beautiful little town, with the greatest shops and were in the midst of a small town parade before we knew what was happening. This small town is surrounded by the most beautiful fields of daffodils and tulips. 100's of acres of the most stunning colors! The tulips are a little on the late side and they say are another week out, but the daffodils MORE than made up for the tulips being a little shy!

Have a great Sunday!

Hello Peeps! Today's card is another of the quick variety using scrap of paper, premade die cuts, including chipboard and a selected sentiment from VERVE stamps - love those Plain Janes - well just love everything VERVE! Has been a bit of a tough week, but today is the new house home inspection, my DH is here in Seattle again to climb up on the roof and look at everything under the house with the inspector; and Tuesday I am going home for the last time! Actually I have not been home in 11 weeks. We are finalizing sale of furnishings we cannot bring with us and moving ahead to build our new life here in Seattle.

I hope you have a great weekend! There is sun right now coming through my window! So I am thinking on what is wonderful, lovely and worthy of praise!

Get Well Soon!

Hello Friends! It's the weekend! YAY!! This card is for my dear MIL. She had open heart surgery 2 weeks ago and DH and I are not in her area. So I have been trying to send her a card everyday from Seattle so she knows I am thinking of and praying for her. This is again one of the last examples I have from that absolutely GREAT Basic Grey card kit which I "adjusted" to make even MORE great and quick cards. There were letters as well as die cut flowers in this kit making it easy for anyone to make a card. Since there were letters this time, I did not use a stamped sentiment.....there was no stamping at all this time! Just a punched out the shapes of the DP and added some ribbon! We are talking quicker than usual here! Have a great weekend!!!

It was a GOOD Thursday!

Hello stampin' sisters! We are movin' right in on Friday! I had a sensational Thursday and am ready to pile on the work tomorrow and work into a great weekend. The house stuff is still on target! The paperwork is all turned in on everything from mortgage to move in date. I am so excited!

I am sure you are all just about tired out from my binge on Basic Grey's card kit, but I do have just a couple more in my pile that I would like to share. So here goes!!

Have a fabulous Friday....blessings on your weekend!

Happy Birthday! And we have a HOUSE!!

Hello Peeps! Happy Tuesday! I am so excited! Our offer was accepted on the house we wanted! YAY!!! I am already arranging furniture in my head! It is a brand new house, with all brand new stainless appliances and we will close and move in just a few days after our house in OR closes. I feel like getting settled is right on the horizon! I can look through the inconveniences of being in temporary housing, the traffic, riding a bus to commute and the worst part being apart from my DH because I know the Lord has directed every measure of this new song! Another card from the quick Basic Grey card kit and some additional die cut flowers with glitter......PTI sentiment! Have a great Wednesday!

Hello Sunshine!

Hello Merry Sunshines! I am looking for some sunshine! We have had a lot of rain today in our househunting escapades and it always makes it challenging! We did narrow down our community in the Seattle area to Mill Creek! AND we found TWO homes in the same subdivision which would be just absolutely super for us! One is bigger than the other but both are just right for us and will be the downsizing we need! We will strategize an offer tomorrow!

This card is more of my quick to the mailbox using the Basic Grey card kit!

Have a great Monday!

Celebrating Andreanna's Birthday!

Hello Dearies! I hope you had an outstanding Saturday! We did have some luck in finding a few homes we might be interested in and one in particular we might consider making an offer on. We will have to see!

This card is going to be for my oldest daughter, Andreanna's birthday....in a couple of weeks. Shhhhh! Don't tell her now. She is mother to 2 of my little Divias - the oldest one and the youngest one.....Abigael and Alivia. She will be 32! Heavens how did I get to be this old?

This continues in the vein of Quick Cards and uses the Basic Grey card kit, scraps, ribbon and a Papertrey Ink sentiment with some like shaped flowers also from PTI. The chipboards from the card kit add some texture and interest. Blessings on your Sunday!

Thanks SO MUCH!

Good morning, Stampin' Sisters! Happy Saturday! Yesterday DH and I went out househunting with our wonderful realtor extraordinaire Candy Shafer! She is absolutely outstanding, knows what she's doing and is good at it! I don't know how she managed all the areas in Seattle - because there are so many communities! WOW!

We stuck to the Everett area yesterday. We saw 6 homes and it took us about 7 hours. We saw TWO that might be okay for house needs, but the yards were less than what was in my head. There are planned communities all over the Puget Sound area and the houses are lovely for the most part, but the houses are crammed in on each other like nothing I have ever seen. One yard of our favorite inside house backed up to a road and had maybe 6 feet by 18. Everything is 2 story - which is a little disconcerting for old people like us. All in all I was a little discouraged, but we are back at it this morning with the 2nd 1/2 of our list. Many houses we originally had on our list were found to be short sales or foreclosures and we took them OFF our list. Too much hassle and too much damage which we might not see until inspection or not at all.

One thing that was so heartening is that I saw SPRING! The trees out in the countryside were full of blooms, pink, white, camellias, forsythia and daffodils! I was thrilled to see the signs that the season is moving in. Because I am in the midst of high rises I was missing out on those encouraging signs of new beginnings.

Today's card is more of my quick to the mailbox style from that great Basic Grey card kit, scraps, a ready to use die cut with some glitter, ribbon and a sentiment fromPTI. Hope you have a great Saturday!

Thank you!

I am SO excited!! Househunters Unite! My DH is here and we are looking for a new home for the next 4 days! YAY!!! I continue to post my weekend knockdown card making scrap-fest! I used scraps and pieces of the Basic Grey card kit. I love me a quick card!

Hope I will have great news tomorrow on the perfect new home for us!

Hope you have a super Friday!

Whatever is lovely!

Well, it has been an impossibly challenging week but I am plowing ahead with such a positive attitude because my DH is flying in to Seattle tomorrow! We have not seen each other for over a month. When you have been married 35 years, you sort of count on the other person to come walking into the room occasionally. We have had so much pressure to make repairs from the inspection report on the sale of our house in OR; we have had a MIL with open heart surgery last week; we have work - a new job which I am trying to learn quickly AND and old job which is at best difficult. SO, I am looking forward to househunting! I get 2 days OFF and we are jetting around to look for a new home!

Way before the philosophy of the power of positive thinking, God had already thought it up. In the book of Philippians we are told to think on whatever is lovely, good and worthy of praise! That's about as positive as you can get! I used more of my Basic Grey card kit scraps and some precut diecuts with glitter and a great Hero Arts stamp. Enjoy the rest of your Wednesday and make Thursday full of positive things!

Wonderful Friend!

Hello Wonderful Friends! I hope your week is buzzing along better than mine! Today was not one of my best. Felt like I was spinning my wheels and not accomplishing anything. I tend to take on other people's work and I kind of put myself in a place to help on something which makes me nuts, needs fixing but I was NOT asked to take care of, just to give input on. It impacts my work and the work of my direct reports so I thought I would just DO IT. But it is huge and has formatting issues so is taking way longer than it should. I spent a lot of time on the phone tonight and just did not get to it. SO I think it may be a late night. But since I stamped all these cards and put them together, I couldn't not take time to post. Right? This is partly Basic Grey paper scraps and partly another scrapbook kit that I got for a song. Another song! LOL! The chipboard flowers just stuck right onto this card like they belonged there. Have a great Wednesday!

With a cherry on top!

Happy Monday everyone! I am so glad to be where I am! Today's card is still part of the Basic Grey card kit that I adapted to my own card layouts, with added sentiments. I am committed to using up scraps while I stamp in this little apt. I found this card base in a bag of scraps, added some of the Basic Grey DP and the chipboard cherries. I love this PTI sentiment and I tore it a little bit for some added detail and attached it to some Bazzill stack mat paper - the little 3x3 stack which I have had stashed for some time. Since I knew I would be limited in space until we find a new home, I knew it would be just the ticket. I love that textured paper! I added some hot pink polka dot ribbon to match the cherries. I found it in the Target $1 section.

Hope your week has started famously!

Spring showed up!

Hello from Seattle where spring has shown up! I have traded my umbrella for my sunglasses for TWO DAYS!! YAHOO! I know it has been a while (like almost a month!) since I have posted. It is very different living in my little temporary corporate apartment with just a few of my stamping supplies. Now I say a few ashamedly because I do have enough paper for 3 generations after me,a slew of stamps and I had DH send me my ink pads by mail (which I forgot in the breakneck packing I did after my last day on a Friday in Medford, OR and my next day in the new job in Seattle on Monday!) and a "little bit" of ribbon. But you know how it is when you have an idea in your head and you just don't have the right stamps. I had some ideas in my inspirational brain cell that I wanted to stamp. Who knows where the stamps are? I'll probably find them a year from now! Of course some of my inspirations needed buttons too and do you think I brought buttons? No. But I persevered and found in my temporary essentials a card kit from Basic Grey, complete with paper, stickers, chipboard. I got it on sale for a song and so I started slamming cards together like a mad woman today. Glue dots UNITE! Add a sentiment and boom I had a card. I think I made 20! I chose to design my own layouts rather than use the kit's ideas - their cards were awfully big (although they did include big envelopes too) and I knew I could just about double my output in I followed my usual layouts. I needed thank you cards and some just general cards of encouragement. My photos don't show the colors at best advantage, as they were taken on my little tiny desk with my Iphone. (You can just barely see the lights of the ferries in the background :D)

In the midst of all our personal churn in pulling up our entire life in Oregon and moving to Seattle, my dear MIL had unexpected open heart surgery this week in Carson City, NV. DH drove down and spent 4 days with her and then came home in the worst snow storm of the year yesterday. There is just so much going on in our lives and here I am 9-1/2 hours from home where I am no help. We have ads on Craig's list for furniture we are not moving (downsizing is a bummer in some ways), repairmen coming to resolve issues which were on the inspection report and then just the usual sorting and tossing. I plan to try to get home for a few days before closing on April 22 to throw the biggest moving sale in the history of the cul de sac, but for now, here I sit. So my blog will be updated for the next 20 days after my card making fest today: born of frustration, guilt and some discouragement. There is just more than my poor remaining braincell can take.

I have been looking at homes on line - condos townhouses, single family homes in a variety of communities around the Seattle area. My cousin Shannon took me to a lovely community called Mill Creek last weekend and we had a blast wandering some model homes in a swell little neighborhood within walking distance of a beautiful little town center and green belt. Cuter than all get out, but SMALL. I kept trying to figure out how to crowbar our belongings into these 1500-1700 square foot homes, from a 2750 square foot, 5 bedroom home.......well, let's just say, I called Jeff and gave him a quite a few more items for Craig's List. I think most of my issues today were that I just want to be settled and I want my better, stronger, half WITH me. But that is 3 more months down the road when the school year is over. Thank goodness I have a wonderful God who can keep me focused on the eternal and centered on Him for peace and contentment when circumstances around me are far from generating the same. I hope you all have a FABULOUS week!!

Good Sunday Morning, Friends! I am glad to be sitting upright this morning, taking nourishment and watching the daily ferry activity on the Sound. I have been down with a terrible stomach flu for the last 36 hours and utterly miserable. I am much better today and glad for it. Still a little residual headache going, but that I can manage!

Today's card is quick and easy, using ready made die cuts, with some glitter added. I am bound and determined to clean up my scraps as we continue to get our household goods ready for moving in June (or before if we sell our house! Please Lord, sell that house!) when Jeff has finished the school year. SO, scraps it is. I love the use of precuts where you can actually stamp a sentiment of my choice to customize.

Hope your Sunday is fully of blessings!

Thanks for looking!

TTFN!

Artha

Celebrate!

Happy Friday, dear Friends! I hope your week buzzed along famously! I had a great week here in my new job and little apartment. DH was able to come up to Seattle last weekend for a 4-day weekend and we did theater, Home Show, The King's Speech and some wandering around downtown, Chinatown and the International District as well as driving around up north for some home options. It is always hard to put him on the train, but we both have plenty to do and keep our ultimate goals in mind: learning my new job, finishing the school year and selling the house! We can do it!!!

This card was for one of the sons-in-law's birthdays earlier in February. Very quick, using a large die cut as the focal point. I always have trouble with masculine cards - and you know my motto - make it quick and get it in the mailbox!

One of my favorite go-to blogs (besides Daughter Carissa's at Domiciliary Artillery!) is Me, My Stamps and I and today she had a fun thing to read that I thought I would share. Eight Things you might not know about me.......

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT ME (DRUM ROLL)

# 8. My favorite color is GREEN

# 7. I'm originally from Indiana and we take our basketball seriously!

# 6. There are 1600 bulbs in my backyard (and I won't get to see them since I moved)

# 5. I am an only child

# 4. I love to read British Mysteries - no gore, just a really difficult puzzler please

# 3. I have a bunch of funny, editorial comments, some taken from my Indiana Grammy (like, "Life is too short to wear tight shoes!")

# 2. I hate to be cold, but hate being hot even more

# 1. If I won a million dollars, guess what is going to be on my top list to buy- stamps!

A Flower for Spring!!

Happy Saturday, Stampin' Friends! This card is another Artha quick version. I used DP scraps on a white PTI card base and added a pre-made die cut flower and topped it with some SU ribbon. The sentiment is from Verve stamps. I tell you if I did not LOVE Verve and Papertrey Ink designs, I would not have a stamp to stamp with! What a talented pair of business women! I have a HUGE order of PTI's newest release coming to my NEW Seattle address! I can hardly wait!

My hubby flew up from Oregon for the long weekend and we have packed it full of fun Seattle things to do! We went to Ivar's for chowder and seafood last night, are headed for the Home Show at Qwest Field this morning, the movies downtown for the King's Speech tonight, Church at Mars Hill Ballard campus tomorrow morning and the play Great Expectations for the matinee in a theater down by the Space Needle tomorrow. What a blessing to have Monday off! I don't think I have ever had President's Day off in 22 years of working in Manufacturing! I LOVE this new company.

TTFN! Friends! Have a GREAT weekend!

Tea for Two!!

Happy Thursday. Friends! I have uploaded a simple birthday greeting today which uses Papertrey Ink's Tea for Two set and a few scraps of designer paper, a bow and a simple birthday sentiment. This card I actually stamped some time ago and when I was cleaning out my stamp are to come to move to Seattle, I found it in a pile of lost cards (kind of like the land of lost toys!)

I am still enjoying Seattle and my new job. I am so excited for this opportunity and the change. I am also excited because my husband Jeff is flying up tomorrow for the long weekend. We have been apart for 2 weeks so I will be so glad to see him and see the sites around the city!!

Have a blest day!

Pure Innocence

Hello Stampin' Friends! And friends in general!

This card was a valentine I made for Granddaughter Sweet Iyla. She is 2-1/2 and she looks just like the Pure Innocence sweetie from My Favorite Things and we used to play peek-a-boo all the time when she and Carissa stayed with us Iyla's first year as her her husband is in the Army. My Copic coloring still leaves a lot to be desired, but I used some scrap Designer Paper, the Martha Stewart heart edger and just mounted my image onto the card, tied a bow and put it in the mail. When Carissa asked her who the little girl was she said, "that's Iyla and she's cryin' and sad." Oh well, you can't win them all!

Hope you enjoy the inspiration because I for one am enjoying the 8 hour days of my new job in Seattle and the privilege of stamping once again!! YAY!!!

Stamping in Seattle!

Happy Tuesday! I have been gone so long that I thought I would post TWO cards today. Both maintain the simple Artha style. This first card is a general encouragement/any occasion card. I yanked out the ol' Cuttlebug and rolled the card base through the flowers folder. I added some some scraps of Designer Paper and mounted up this beautiful Psalm from Verve as the sentiment. Add some Martha ribbon and I was DONE! Card #2 uses the same card format. Cuttle Bugged the card base, but this time added a precut glittered die cut flower, some smashing PTI buttons and another stampin' Psalm from Verve. Another bow and off I go to the mail box.

Here I am in my little Seattle apartment stamping and snapping photos with my Iphone. I realize the photo quality needs work. I will need to practice with lighting and card display to get a better representation of colors and perspective. The good news is I have a new life with TIME to work on my photo taking! YAY!!

Man it is good to be back in the stampin' saddle! Hope you are inspired and encouraged!

TTFN!

Artha

I Have Surfaced!

Dear Fellow Stampers! I have been on an interesting journey for over a month and during this time there has been little to no time to stamp. BUT NOW........there will be MORE than enough time. I have taken a new job and moved to Seattle!! This has been rift of much thought and prayer and consideration of every angle and opportunity. For many years, I have been in a position where work has taken over and just driven my personal life into the ground. I faithfully did my work as to the Lord and my best to contribute to developing a quality system to support all the requirements demanded of it. There has been little to no help through the years, but I kept plugging thinking I could make a difference. An old friend who gave up on our company a year ago, sent me a link to an opportunity that she thought I might find interesting and was a good fit for my skill set in quality/regulatory affairs. I applied just as a fleece to see if an old dried up regulatory/quality person had any value elsewhere, because I was sure I had no value where I was. After several months and a series of interviews, I was offered the job - an amazing job with a team of about 10 working with me to support about 30% of the responsibility I currently had. I snapped it up! But it meant moving. So I gave my notice, my husband retired after about 37 years of teaching and we are in transition. Jeff will finish the school year, but I am already here, my first day was Monday and I am having a ball. I have a beautiful temporary apt which I just moved into tonight, a view of the harbor where I just saw a ferry come in and a great group of co-workers who I am willing to go to the mat for and roll up my sleeves and help in any way I can. WOW!! The Word says God will provide abundantly beyond what we think or ask and I can stand up on a chair and tell you it's TRUE! I am sad to leave my church and dear friends, but I just finally drew a line in the sand and said, "I am tired of giving up my life for a corporate machine with a value system which I can no longer embrace or even support." SO I packed up a few boxes, including my basic stamp stuff and a little bit of paper and I will come home to this little apt after a challenging but effective work day, make a cup of tea, a bowl of soup and look out at the harbor and have a life. I can hardly wait til Jeff gets here. SO, hopefully I have not wrecked any of the small following of fellow stampers I had accumulated. I am back in the stampin' chair!! I promise!!! And if Puget Sound can't inspire me than I am in big trouble! I think I will be able to come up with some great stuff looking out on this view of God's handiwork.

TTFN!!!

Artha

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, friends and fellow stampers! I have taken a prolonged vacation from the blog for many reasons including too much real work at the factory, some business travel, getting ready for the holidays, getting ready for the Son's visit. Since he deploys to Afghanistan in the summer, this was a special Christmas home. Then after Christmas we traveled to see the little baby Divas in Texas and then managed to get home amid all the hub bub of other Christmas travelers last night. It is good to be home and now starts the laundry, the putting away and the new year organizing, cleaning out, etc. Tomorrow it's back to work where I am determined to be positive and as my Indiana Grammy always said, start as I mean to go on.

I hope you had a great holiday season, enjoying all the things you like to do, with people you love and appreciate! We certainly did by spending time with out beloved family. What a joy it was to be with them!

I don't have anything but Christmas cards in my pool of potential blog posts and since the tree and all the decorations are down, I am wanting to move onto some other theme for posting. I have thank you notes galore to write so hopefully will have 1-2 to post tomorrow if you should care to come back for another visit!

May this new year be full of blessings untold, joy and peace for you and your families!

Happy New Year!

Artha