random reflections

Zoom In, Zoom Out: Week 33

A friend and I spent a wonderful day yesterday on a little road trip. We started in Skaneateles, a lovely little town on a lake just east of Syracuse. The town is filled with charming shops and restaurants. While we were there I spotted a more picturesque bakery for Rinda's Scavenger Hunt. The line was very long inside, so the Zoom In shot was taken from outside, which I rather liked in the end. And we were able to resist coming away with a bag of goodies. Which was just as well since we were headed off to Elderberry Pond for lunch.

You can check out the rest of this week's ZIZO photos at Helena's blog.

Online Card Class: Stretch Your Stamps 2

It's not the first time, nor will it be the last, but I've overextended myself with online instruction once again. This week I had lessons in two drawing classes, the phone photography class at BPC, and the new Online Card Class. Since neither of the drawing classes have lifetime access, it's been critical to keep up with them. I'm definitely a newbie to the sketching/drawing world, so it's also been very time-consuming. Add Sarah, Adam, and Caleb's visit plus daily trips to Conesus Lake this week, and it's really quite amazing that I have a card to share! 

Two of Sarah and Adam's friends have just adopted a beautiful baby boy. We were lucky enough to meet William the day we were in Chicago earlier this month. I wanted to send a gift and card back when Sarah and Adam left today, so it was a good opportunity to try one of the techniques from Days 3 & 4--using alphabet and sentiment stamps.

This is a take on Tami Hartley's class on Day 4 where she created a banner for her sentiment by using alpha stamps. At first I thought I must have purged all my small alphas, but finally found an old Technique Tuesday one that fit on the banner from My Favorite Things Blueprints 5 die set (another item that's seeing it's first use.) The striped paper is a left-over from the other baby card I made recently, and the banners were cut from a piece of paper I watercolored. Three little hearts (using an old paper punch) with little pearls from AMuse finished it off. The "welcome" was selectively stamped from a sentiment in the "Baby Button Bits" set by Papertrey Ink.

I'm linking this up with the Simon Says Work It Wednesday challenge which is BLUE this month.

Sarah, Adam, and Caleb headed back to Chicago this morning. We've been blessed by such a nice long visit, and I'm going to miss that two-year-0ld voice (as well as his parents) every morning for quite some time. FaceTime is fabulous, but it sure doesn't replace the real deal! 

Zoom In, Zoom Out

Tracy's mom rents a cottage each summer on Consesus Lake. All of Tracy's siblings, and most of the children and grandchildren arrive for one or more day during the week. We drive down each afternoon after Caleb's nap and stay for dinner. It's been raining every night, but finally, last night, it was beautiful.

Tracy's niece, Lena, is here from Arizona with both of her boys. Cash, the younger one, is five years old and is relishing being the "big boy" with Caleb. When Caleb got into the car last night, his first words were, "I had fun!" They had a great time trying to skip rocks on the water, chasing one another around the lawn, and just being boys! But they stopped long enough to "pose" for Zoom In, Zoom Out photos.

For more Zoom In, Zoom Out pairings, head to Helena's blog!

The Pile of Postcards Exchange

As soon as Sian posted about her Pile of Postcards Exchange, I dashed off an email to be included. I love these little projects, and as always, it's been fun. I sent off seven postcards (the six names I received from Sian, and one to Sian, of course) and have received six myself. I only know where one of mine landed, thanks to Allison's persistence in trying to find me. I neglected to add my blog url, email or other information. (Where was my mind that day?)

These three arrived from Texas, California, and France. The postcard from France arrived in an envelope with the usual beautiful stamps so I'll be saving those for a project. Thanks to Liz, Nicole, and Helen!

These cards arrived from Sian in North Ireland, Becky (vacationing in Crete), and Hazel in Utah. We visited the Great Salt Lake a few years ago when we were in Salt Lake City, but didn't make it to the Bonneville Salt Flats. Thanks for the fun cards! I've saved them all, and hope I'll think of a way to incorporate some of them in a project.

Then at the same time, but not part of the official swap, I received this beauty from my blogging friend, Deb. It's a postcard of the beautiful canvas she created. 

I love the bright colors, and postive message! It's hanging above my desk, and is sure to brighten any day---but I know I'll really appreciate it this winter! 

A special thanks to Sian, for thinking of this fun exchange---just another of her great ideas!

The Birthday Girl

Yesterday was Sarah's birthday, and luckily for us, it was the second year in a row she's been here to celebrate. I didn't post yesterday because the celebration didn't end until tonight when Adam arrived. Actually the birthday began mid-week when her first gift arrived from Amazon. Sarah's become the DIY queen in the last several months. She's been finding free or very inexpensive furniture and other goodies on Craig's list and refinishing or repurposing them. So this year, she asked for a power tool. After much consultation with her very handy father, she decided on a scroll saw.

 

Somehow I haven't gotten a photo of the really cute toys she's made for Caleb--a whale, a school of fish, a darling hedgehog and more. Today she finished painting and adding the oil/beeswax finish to all of them.

Somewhere in her search about the Rochester area, she came across a reference to the Avon Flea Market. We've never been, but yesterday morning we headed out. It turned out to be a lot of fun and we all came home with something.

Turns out Matchbook cars are a big collectors' item, and there were hundreds of them for Caleb to look at.

But interestingly, he didn't come home with any of them. Instead he came home with a bin of great alphabet blocks that were 50% off the already reasonable asking price.

I bought an old dictionary for $3 to use in art journaling and an antique (or just old) folding six-foot measuring stick.

Tracy and a friend have gotten into model railroads since they've retired, and Tracy found a really cute N-gauge train that works great. (I think Caleb thought this was the best find of all.)

But Sarah negotiated the best deal for a mitre saw.

Last night we joined Tracy's mom and siblings at Conesus Lake where they've rented a cottage for the week, and after dinner celebrated with a cake.

Tonight Matt, Betsy, and Skylar came to dinner, and we had an ice cream pie from Sarah's favorite soft ice cream shop. Their chocolate almond ice cream is to die for, and the pie might even be better!

Given Sarah's new hobby, I decided to break out a stamp set I've had for a couple of years. I've hardly used it, and when I bought it I certainly didn't have Sarah in mind. It's a definite case of a card Maille Belle did for the release of the set at Papertrey Ink.

All in all, I think Sarah had a good birthday. She was definitely glad to see Adam tonight who just returned from a mission trip in Havana, Cuba. Their departure was delayed by 12 hours, so he was a day late arriving in Chicago, and didn't get here until just after we finished dinner, but before Matt and Betsy had to take Skylar home for bed. They'll be here for the rest of the week, and we'll be heading to the lake after naps each day. 

Baby Shower

I'm off in a few minutes to a baby shower. It will be their first, a little boy due next month. A happy occasion, and the grandmother-to-be who is my good friend is excited beyond words!

Once again the Papertrey Ink Phrase Play #5 die came to the rescue.

I used piece of American Craft 12X12 scrapbook paper that's been in my stash for a long time to cut the die, and Spring Rain cardstock by PTI for the card base. The layered felt sticker has been in my stash for a long time, too.

I only have a couple baby-themed stamp sets, and couldn't find any sentiment that worked so I created on on the computer and ran the card base through the printer before starting the card front. 

I'm linking this to the new Simon Says Work It Wednesday challenge which is BLUE.

Hope you're having a great weekend. Ours is pretty quiet aside from the fact that we have a busy, happy 2 1/2 year old living with us!