If You Can..

If you can start the day without caffeine;
If you can get going without pep pills;
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains;
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles;
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it;
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time;
If you can forgive a friend's lack of consideration;
If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you when,
through no fault of your own, something goes wrong;
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment;
If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him;
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend;
If you can face the world without lies and deceit;
If you can conquer tension without medical help;
If you can relax without liquor;
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs;
If you can honestly say that deep in your heart you have no prejudice
against creed or color, religion or politics; then, my friend, you are
almost as good as your dog.


The above quote is sooo true! And it can be said about my little grandogger, CoCo. She has spent the past week with us while her mom and dad were on a cruise. She's had a great time, chasing squirrels, keeping the birds in order, and just generally making sure all is well in the backyard.


She's usually here for a two-day visit, three max, so she didn't pace herself. She came on like gangbusters when she got here last Saturday afternoon. And by Tuesday night, she was exhausted. She's perpetual motion, never stopping from sunup until sundown. She makes me tired just watching from inside the patio doors.


Is that the sweetest little face? I can't say I'm really a "dog person." I don't stop on the street and put strays in my car, but I like dogs...in small doses. But I think dogs are lots of trouble if done properly and I'm not willing to get into it. Alot of my family and friends don't understand that. Especially my sister who is the most devoted animal lover I've ever known. I have to admit, though, I've really enjoyed having this little four-legged squirrel posse here to pet and rub her tummy on those rare occasions she lies still long enough. She is a sweetheart.

And tomorrow she goes home. Back to where life is a bowl of cherries and her mom and dad adore her and fulfill her every wish and whimper. And I'll get back to doing just what I want when I want without any consideration of a poor little pup to put back in the kennel for a few hours so I can go have lunch with the girls, play cards, or go out to eat with St. Wayne. I've actually done very little of that this week just because I hate to call her in from the yard to that lonely little "cage." I think I mind it more than she does. She happily takes a nap while she's inprisoned but when I get back and once that door is opened, she's a black streak through the house and I'd better have the back door standing open when she gets back there or it's crying and carrying on like you wouldn't believe.

CoCo, it's been fun. I've so enjoyed having you here. Come back real soon...you're always welcome. love, Grandma

Quick and Easy Little Books

Some dear, really dear, friends of ours have offered the use of their ultimately located condo for my family to use for a week this summer. We can't wait. So, I wanted to offer them something for the new condo that they couldn't buy anywhere else. This is a guest book for friends and family to leave comments about how much they enjoyed their stay. They'll always have a record of the fun times that have taken place there.

It's something that's quick and easy and fun to do. I set up lines on my computer and printed 50 or so pages. Lined pages (instead of blank, unlined pages) are much easier and less intimidating to use for most people. I only printed on one side, so if they wanted to draw something or add a photo that didn't fit on the lines, they could always use the back. Then I took the pages to my local printer to have them trimmed and two holes drilled.

Then I found some heavy-weight stock to use as the cover, punched a few holes, tied a cabinet door handle on with ribbon and, viola! it's a fun, oddly bound book. You can decorate the cover anyway you like. I have to admit, this is my first elk. I found the image to trace by typing in "elk silhouette" on Google images. A piece of cake.


This is another one I made several years ago for our family history as written by my Aunt Faye. This cover was made from corrugated cardboard. So simple and fun to do. Now go make a couple of these...it doesn't have to be a guest book, they could include family recipes, favorite photos of a special occasion, or anything else your heart desires. Go on, quit wasting time surfin' the internet and do some productive piddlin'...take a picture and send me a sample of what you've created!

More Inspiration

Here is a book by Sarah Lugg, The Handcrafted Wedding. You don't have to be planning a wedding to find inspiration here. She is the mother of all hang tags and I've admired her work for years. In fact I have had a print of her tags hanging in my bathroom for over eight years. I've removed the print from the frame and scanned it so you can see her tag art.



Being in the wedding business, I buy lots of books pertaining to weddings. Mainly to steal, um, I mean cultivate ideas that I can offer my brides. This one is a beauty. Lots of interesting ideas if you're looking for something different.

It was published in 2003 and it looks like they've changed the cover, but it is available on Amazon. Check it out...it's sweet.

Tag Art

Last Thursday, Debby from The Gracious Home, came over to my studio and we spent a little while piddlin' with mailing tags. She takes lots of time and has just that special little something she wants to put on hers and it turns out exquisive. Go to the sidebar and click on her link to see a photo of hers in a post she did today. Me? I'm quick and dirty. I actually didn't complete anything while she was here because I was letting everything simmer. At least that's my story. I think I might have been just a tad bit intimidated by her deliberate creation. I'm more of a "quick and dirty" kind of girl.

So a few days later, with the millions of pieces of emphemera still out on the worktable, I sat down again. This is what I finished with. A dozen of the cutest things I ever saw. First thing I did was download and printed some old photos I had. There's one of my parents kissing at the flagpole, several girlfriends as children, even some old and odd photos I had on my computer from other projects. Then I glued the photo to the tag and added "stuff." And this is what I came up with...ta da...



You can click on the picture to enlarge and see the detail. I think my favorite one is on the center row with the sealing wax.

Haven't decided yet how I'll use them...maybe gifts or even framed in a shadowbox. Who knows...but it sure was a fun way to kill a couple of hours. Just a warning: This is a dangerous piddlin' project...once you get started, you don't want to stop.

This Rainy Saturday Morning

My dear friend, Debby, over at Debby's Gracious Home sent me this sign. If you haven't been to her blog, you can find the link on my sidebar because I'm not cool enough to figure out how to link you right here. Anyway, I can't imagine why she thought of me when she saw this sign...

Okay, it's a well-known fact that I work in my jammies when I get the chance. And for some reason, I can really move and get things accomplished when I do. However, I've been fully clothed since early hours on this rainy morning. St. Wayne made us omelets, we're listening to Willie Nelson and John Prine on the stereo, and we have no where to be and no one to see. This would be the perfect jammie day, but on the other hand, I really try not to do it when he's home and especially on Saturday, because the day is so full of possibilities I want to be ready to run should one of us think of a movie to see or a great place for lunch.

So...whatever the day holds for you, here's hoping it contains a litle joy. And if that joy comes while in your p.j.'s...that's just fine and dandy. Enjoy!

Lettuce Make Place Cards!

Here's a quick, easy, and inexpensive idea for place cards for that dinner party you have planned in the back of your mind.

First step, when you're buying groceries, toss a head of romaine lettuce in your cart. When you get home, chop off the bottom of the stalk about three inches up. Romaine works the best because its leaves are tight and the stalk is small.

Next dab it, cut side down, on a paper towel to remove as much moisture as you can. Ink it on a rubber stamp pad and stamp away, as you would any rubber stamp. The result is a sweet little image of a rose. This is a sample of gold roses I stamped on card stock.



Following the directions drawn on the sample, cut out a square and then with an exacto blade, cut around the top of the rose.

Score down the horizontal middle, on the left and the right of the stamped rose, leaving the rose unscored. Write the names of your dinner guest in the lower right corner, fold on the score and the rose pops up.

Take the time to make place cards for your next dinner. They make a guest feel welcome and who doesn't love seeing their name flourished? Give it a try...your guests will be impressed!

More Inspiration from Betty

This morning as I was putting the tatooed love lady back where she belongs, up on the board on my studio wall, something else from Betty Locke caught my eye. This could be my all-time favorite from Betty and thought you might like to see it, too.

She used a large piece of watercolor paper and again, thinking of the size and shape of the envelope, sketched my name in large happy letters and drew lots of bubbles. Then she cut away the background on the top portion of the letters using an exacto knife and added bright splashes of color. She scored and folded what little was left on each side and made it a fold-over card to fit inside a No. 10 (business size) envelope, leaving my name to "pop" up when folded.

On the inside she wrote a short note. Then, needless to say, the envelope matches with her same wonderful style. Can you imagine my thrill when I received this in the mail?

Betty has inspired me for years and years and there's nothing more exciting than an envelope from Betty. I hope she inspires you to get out your watercolors and exacto knife. Scan what you come up with and send it to me at the email address on the right. I'd love to see your creations!