CCEE1706 Valentine

For our challenge this week, Liz has asked us to show a little love by making a handmade Valentine.  It's a color challenge.....RED, black, and white, and for the bonus, add a glimmer of silver.

My Valentine kitty is wearing Valentine boxer shorts that are fussy cut and popped.  The image is pasted over RED mirror paper, and there are silver heart brads scattered about.  The fun sentiment is from Joanne Woodward - Paul Newman must have been a fab guy, but not as fab as my DH who will get this card from me!

Please join us by adding your card HERE to our blog.

We have three family birthdays within 15 days.........John, our youngest grandson on Jan. 30, David, our son on Jan. 31, and DH, Jay, on Feb. 14 (Valentine's Day).  We get the family together to celebrate them with a cake with three candles.

This year, Amy has the flu, so all of the Chisholm's stayed home.  We didn't get John.  We had the rest of the guys, and only two candles, but we managed to sing really loud, so maybe John heard us!  Here are the birthday boys.  Happy Day, guys!!

CCEE 1705 Reading/Book

Our new hostess for the month of February is Liz Williams.  In honor of Library Lovers month, she challenged us to a reading or a book theme for our cards.

I used Fairy Tales as my theme......

Inside it has a humorous comment:

"Life is not a fairy tale.  If you lose your shoe at midnight, you're drunk!"

I send cards to my DD at her Law Office every week.  She has a difficult job, lots of  hours, etc.  As a result, the cards I send to her are always fun.  Her legal secretary, Annie, and Dori, her office manager, also get a card occasionally, and the cards are left beside the coffee machine for them and the other lawyers to enjoy.  I think this card will bring smiles, and maybe a laugh or two.

Please join us, linking your card HERE.

Happy BIrthday David!

Today is our eldest son's birthday.  David is.......dare I say it??........52!  Hard for his mother to be only 39 today!!

Here he is with his fabulous family.......Samantha, Sarah, and Nathan.

He has turned out to be more than we ever could have wanted.......he is kind, smart, caring, a hard worker, and so family oriented.  We are so lucky to call him our son.

Happy birthday to you, David,.....we wish for more happiness in your future!!  Love, Mom and Dad.

Congratulations Tommy!

Last evening, Jan. 30th, we were treated to a fabulous evening.  We went to the induction of our grandson Tommy into the National Honor Society at Wachusett Regional High School.

He is not only a wonderful student, but generous, kind, and compassionate.  We are so lucky to have him in our family.  

Here he is after the ceremony, with his big sister Erin:

Here he is with his mother, our daughter Amy, and his father, Tom.

Also, a picture taken with Grammy and Grampy:

Yes, that's me, the old lady on the right.  We were so happy to have been there!!

Only one person was missing..........

John's birthday........16!!!!

Our grandson John was missing from the evening.  We had spent the afternoon with him, celebrating a separate and wonderful occasion.........his 16th birthday.

It's hard to believe that our youngest grandchild is so old!!  Now he will be learning to drive, and taking his first steps to being his own person.  He's wearing his gummy bear socks, and opening presents.  He chose some peace and quiet after we sang to him (loud and off key), and skipped an evening back at the school.  You get all your own choices on your birthday!!

Happy, happy birthday to John, his Celtics shirts, his Walking Dead book, socks and sweatshirt, and new basketball sneakers.  Really growing up!!!  We love you so much!!!

CCEE1704 SNOW

Vicky says:  "By now we're in the SNOW season.  Let's see an all occasion card - thinking of you, get well, hello........any card you can send on a normal day (no birthdays or holidays), and it should have snow on it, one way or another."

Here's mine:

Inside it says, sending you Eskimo kisses!  I think this is a fun Winter card!

Please join us, linking your card to our blog HERE.

CCEE1703 Black and Ivory

Our challenge today from Vicky, our hostess for January, is to make a card using Black and Ivory.  Here's mine:

I went with a CAS card for my grandson's confirmation.  I think this card is masculine for a 16 year old guy.  No frills, just a simple statement.

Please join us today, and every Thursday, and be sure to link your card HERE.

CCEE1702 Tri-Fold Card

Vicky challenged us to make a tri-fold card........anything we chose from SCS or You Tube.

Here's mine:

Here it is standing up

And a pic of it so you can see the three parts easier.

This is actually an accordian card, but I think it qualifies as it has three parts.

Please join us, linking your card HERE.

CCEE1701 Bird Day!

Our hostess for the first month of the new year (can it be 2017 already???) is Vicky Gould.

She loves birds, so her challenge is to show beautiful birds on our cards.  Here ya go, Vicky!

I don't often try my hand at water color, but this image is just so beautiful, I gave it the brush and water.  Because I didn't remove the paint at the end from my craft sheet, I got a few errant marks near the flowers...........so that's why the ribbon is where it is.  Just another opportunity for embellishment!! LOL!

Please join us, and link your card HERE.  See you next week.

Family Christmas

For the very first year, I did not have Christmas.  David, our eldest, offered to have us all, and gratefully I accepted.  My knee surgery was not quite a week old, and I was glad to be able to sit for the most part.

Amy made Swedish meatballs with help from Tommy and John, and Erin made the beautiful tea rings from my last post.  Tom made his fabulous corn casserole that we all missed on Thanksgiving.

David regaled us with rib roasts, spinach and cheese, and baked potatoes stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon (oh boy......that put me right over the top).  Sarah made us dips and plenty of Chex Mix (my personal fav!).

The day before my surgery, Cousin Greg came and we made kruppkakor together - we've talked about doing it for years, and finally did - and I also made pickled pears and sylta, so we ended up with a Swedish Christmas after all.

There was WAY TOO MUCH food altogether, and by dinner time, Jay and I passed, going instead for a little nosh.

Everyone was pleased with presents.  You can see our happy faces in this picture taken by Nate's girlfriend Samantha.

I hope your Christmas was as happy as ours was.....the only comment Jay and I made to each other was that we couldn't believe how fast the grands had become adults!

On the left: David, Sarah, Sam, and Nate in front.
Center:  Jay and me (with one steristrip on my knee)
Right:  Amy and Tom, Erin, John, and Tommy in front.

Oh YUM!

Our talented granddaughter Erin, at Culinary School, has outdone her grandmother (ME!) by not only making our family favorite Swedish Tea Ring, but decorating it as well!

Apparently she made it for a class, and it has become a huge hit......and well it should, as it is as delicious as it looks!!  Brava Erin!!!

CCEE1649 Gingerbread

From Maryann:

"According to the Days f the Year Web Site, the 10th of December is Gingerbread Decorating Day, and the 12th of December is Gingerbread House Day.  So for our challenge this week, let's include something gingerbread related on our cards."

I just love this new set from SU with the gingerbread boy and girl, and used them to add to my Double Z Fold card.

Please join us in this our last challenge for the year.  Post your card HERE.

Greetings from Montpelier VT!

This morning I am posting two pictures I got from our granddaughter at Culinary School.  The first is the landscape as she walked from her apartment VERY EARLY to her pastry class......I think she leaves before 5:30 AM.

She called it "Walking in a Winter wonderland, and it sure is gorgeous!

Then this is her Final Exam in her Laminations class.........Cruffins (a croissant in the shape of a muffin), with brown butter pastry cream, and maple sugared pecans on top.  They sold out immediately at the school bakery in downtown Montpelier.  And no wonder!!

I just hate it when she sends pictures of her pastry.....I salivate for nothing!!!  But...........

WAY TO GO, ERIN !!

CCEE1648 RED!

Maryann is our Hostess for the month of December, where we have only two challenges.

She tells us, "Today is 'Eat a RED Apple Day', so in the spirit of Christmas let's create something includes the color RED."  How perfect is that for ME!!!!!

Join us in making a RED card, and post yours HERE on our blog.

CCEE1647 Pins and Needles

For her last Challenge, Frances told us :

Sunday, November 27th is Pins and Needles Day, which commemorates the opening of a historical Broadway play called Pins and Needles.  This week, let's create cards with a sewing theme, using either stamps, dies, papers, buttons, pins, needles, or any combination of the above.

Inside, my card says "What's Up?"

My stamps are from MFP, and I used the dress form die from PTI, along with the chevron dies, and an oval Nestie.

Please join us, linking your card HERE.

CCEE1646 Bear

Frances tells us yesterday was "Have a Party with Your Bear Day", so to celebrate, she challenged us to feature bears on our cards this week.

These images are from Stampendous.  Of course, this card will go to one of our grands!

Join us on our blog with your card of a bear HERE.

WInter Trees

I don't usually post the cards I make daily......they are always on SplitCoastStampers if you really want to see them. (Or on Pinterest)  Today was the exception.

I followed the sketch that's posted every Wednesday.

I turned it 90 degrees, and made my card.  Here it is.

The trees in the front take the place of three of the circles, and for the fourth I die cut and sponged two clouds.

When I had it all done, it looked a little sparse, so I punched out some RED birds.  Still not finished looking, I sprayed the whole card with White Linen to make snow.  Then it was done.

I love the look of the gently sponged sky with soft clouds, and the pines in the background.  I hope you like it too.  If you are looking at this card, and you receive it in the mail for Christmas, you won't be surprised, but in real life, the cards are much better in person!

Stamps: Inkadinkado, Paper Co. Studio

Inks: Cool Caribbean, Handsome Hunter (Stampin' Up), Ranger White Linen Spray

Paper: White, RED, Hunter

Dies: Memory Box clouds, Dee's Winter Tree

CCEE1645 Origami

Frances tells us:

"Tomorrow, November 11th is Origami Day.  Let's include something origami on our cards.  It could be a folded shirt, dress, crane, a folded box - whatever you like."

I made an origami doll, following this SCS tutorial.  At first I went to Pinterest, and tried a bat, then a frog, and ended up more confused than when I started!!!  This one looks so easy, but it's NOT!!!

If you are brave, join us, and link your origami piece to our blog HERE.

CCEE1644 Wobble

Frances is our Hostess for the month of November....  Here is her first challenge:

"The 2nd of November was Wobbly Wednesday, the day to bring awareness to a condition called Nystagmus, a non-stop and uncontrolled movement of the eyes, symptomatic of problems with the visual system of the brain and body.  For our challenge this week, let's add something wobbly on our card....it could be those fun wobbly eyes, action wobbles or some other form of movement on your card."

I just love this image and saying from Your Next Stamp, and after cutting it out, added an action wobble to the back of the light bulb for a little fun.  This card will go to one of my grandsons.

Feel free to join us, adding your card to our blog HERE.