Fall into Fun!

The full moon is all a glow through my misty windows as the crickets chirp a lullaby for those who are too young to know that the songs of summer will soon pass.

So as I try to fall asleep after a long day of painting woodwork and plastering the nail holes from photos of long ago I thought that maybe you might enjoy dreaming of making this card for a friend.

Stamp Free Fallin' = 191F onto a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of cardstock.

Mask the image with Liquid Masking Fluid (another name for this product is Liquid Frisket which can be purchased at your local Michael's craft store in the watercolor / acrylic department) by painting it in with either a q-tip or your stylis. Place a few drops randomly around the image. Let the liquid mask dry for at least 45 minutes = believe me it will be worth the wait! Besides, this gives you a break to either make dinner, pick the kids up from school, gab on the phone with a gal pal or even do the laundry = gasp!

Using a brayer and a Kaleidacolor pad in shades of red, orange and yellow, brayer in the background. If you would like to make your own rainbow colors with our wonderful Pan Pastels, this would be your chance! PS - they are on sale for $ 5.75 each through Aug. 31, 2011.

Peel off the liquid mask by rubbing your fingers over the dried masking fluid until it starts to roll up. If you have a rubber cement eraser, that makes the removal much easier.

Color in Free Fallin' and hold on to your leaf = your card is ready to be layered and sent out!

Easy, Breezy Fall Fun.

Have a wonderful tomorrow as I try to catch a few zzzzzzzz's before the sun comes up.

Laura Anne and Bella Boo

"One in a Bugzillion"

Lately I have been thinking of the people in my life who have stepped outside their comfort zones and made or shall I say make good things happen for others.

You know the type, the neighbor who bakes wonderful cookies and then brings you a dozen = unexpectedly of course. The friend who makes you a tape of music that lifts your heart and has you dancing in the kitchen or dreaming of warm sunny beaches, or someone who rebuilds your life bit by bit with either wood, plaster, or sound advice.

These are the people who are "One in a Bugzillion" - so let's make them a card to say Thank You!

First, stamp our fun Large Squirm - 420C, as many times as you can on a 4" x 5.25" of white cardstock.

Mask all the images - I know it's alot of Squirms, but seriously, they are a breeze to cut out and well, really, isn't this special person we are making it for worth the trouble?

Brayer over ALL the images with a sponge brayer filled with a blue/green/turquoise rainbow pad. I love my Big and Juicy Waterfall pad but Kaleidescope has a nice pad with those colors in it as well.

Peel off the masks and color one Squirm with rainbow colors and the rest a lovely shade of yellow green shading in with a lime green.

Layer, Layer, and Layer after putting the original artwork on a piece of cardstock that is 5.50" by 8.50" scored at the 4.25" mark lengthwise.

Stamp in Our "You're one in a bugzillion" stamp - 7001E on the inside.

Add a few smiley faces if you like and sign it with love, admiration or a plain ol' "Thanks" and off to the post office you go.

Not only will it put a smile on the recipient's face, but yours as well.

After all, anyone thoughtful enough to make this card for their friend, family or neighbor is "One in a Bugzillion" themselves.

Happy Bugday!

Laura Anne and Bella Boo

A Little Wet Behind the Years....

I am feeling just a little bit wet behind the ears, or should I say "years".

Two weeks ago another terrible storm went through our town and while we weathered it with electricity this time, our sump pumps failed to keep up with the 8.5 inches of rain that fell in less than two hours.

We woke up to two sump pumps gurgling under 9 inches of water in our family room and work rooms as 28 years of "STUFF" had already begun to absorb what we had not.

It is all "STUFF - just STUFF" .

I kept telling myself this as the bulging swirling stained waterlogged walls and curling of peeling wallpaper took on a new dimension of home decor.

I can't begin to tell you how quickly we found ourselves moving whatever we could up the stairs, off the floor, and onto counters as our carpets floated effortlessly above the crystal clear rain water as we held back our tears. We have never had a flood in our home these past 28 years.

We saved the new son-in-law's 20 year old comic book collection (25 large boxes), 2 slightly wet red leather chairs, tables, a sofa, lamps, and most of the trains (60 years of model railroad stuff), and all of my stamping "stuff". Most everything that was wet, has dried out fairly well with just a few wrinkles as reminders of how much we have to be thankful for.

The under currant of our family bonds became stronger as we lost books, cabinets, carpets, tiles off the floor, furniture and energy as we struggled to remove the calf high water we were wading through to save what we could.

What we lost was just "Stuff". What we gained - "A stronger family unit".

Our Children, Matt and his wife, Abra, along with Kris and her new husband, John, worked with their Dad and I for 13 hours hauling, vaccuuming, drying, and bundling up stuff to take to the curbside for garbage pick-up. No one complained.

We just held on hour after hour as we realized that it was just that, "STUFF". We still have our "MEMORIES". We still have our "HEALTH". We still have our "HOME". We still have "US".

For those of you, your families and your friends who have ever experienced great losses through fire, weather, abuse, violence or economic hardship, my heart and prayers go out to you tenfold.
This was hard enough - I can't imagine losing my home, much less my family.

As I look at damaged walls, the left over "STUFF" in disarray, I will try to remember this day, and make sure that my heart is always in the right place and my priorities oraganized accordingly - God, Husband, Kids, Puppies, Friends, Neighbors, etc.

And yes, to still have paper towels to hand out to those who may need them.

Laura Anne and Bella Boo - who thinks "Puppies" should come first.

Deep Fried

Life is good. The storms have subsided for a few days. The sun is out and the carnival is in town.

All the wonderful sights, sounds and smells!

Roller coasters, Tilt-a-Whirls, Ring Toss, Games of Chance and the Food - the wonderful combination of greasey sublime gooey goodness!

Carrie Newcomer (check her out on U-Tube), sings about the county fairs and all they offer. The fun, the lights and the imagination of those who can deep fry anything and make it sound good!

This is how I feel when I go to a convention and show you wonderful ladies our latest technique. I feel like a barker at the circus or a carnie with a show stopping daring twist of fate feat, when really all I am doing is using my Pan Pastels in a very simple way to achieve maximun color with minimum effort.

This Weekend Bugawumps will be in Novi, MI showing off "OUR" stuff and hoping that the crowds mimick those I saw at the carnivial tonight. For those of you who come, our Pan Pastels will be on sale for $ 5.75 each - a lower price celebrating our ad in RSM. For those of you who can't join us, the sale will continue on our website through Sept. 1st.

Add to that that we are also giving you a "DOG DAY" summer SALE - 10 percent OFF ALL STAMPS and you have yourself one very creative show stamping summer!

Feel the barker in me coming on again.......

Happy Happy Bugday!

Laura Anne and Bella Boo