Merry Christmas

Hi all,
I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday. Scotty & I had a wonderfully
quiet day. No matter what you did...spent it alone or with friends or family, I hope you had a super day!

I'm wishing you all a very Happy New Year. I hope we all have a very Happy and HEALTHY 2009!!!

I'll be back stampin in the next few days, but will drop in to "chat" with you's!!!

happy, happy, day after Christmas. Take care my friends!
hugs,

Two Cool Dudes

Hi Again,
I hope I'm not boring you with all these cards I've made last week. This one was relatively quick. Once again I used a designer sheet of paper(snowflake paper brand name unknown). I don't have this set by Stampin Up, I was lucky enough to be able to borrow it, and I sure think it's some cute!!!

You all have a wonderful Christmas Eve!!

stampin hugs,

Another Winter Post card

This card is so much prettier in real life! I'm so disappointed with the picture. I tried several different ways, but the embossed glitter just messes it up. Oh well, you can sort of get the drift the way it is. lol Each deer, the pink & white around it is a pop-dotted square, so that whole section is up off the card. I don't think you can tell in the pic. I've done alot of none tradional xmas colors this year, not sure if I like them or tradional better. Good excuse to make another card like this, but in tradional colors and see which one suits my fancy! lol Which do you like best? Thanks alot for looking!

It's almost Christmas Eve!!!

Take care.
Stampin hugs,

Season of Joy Quick Card, Winter Post, Lovely as a Tree

Hiya's! Here's a quick card I made using Stampin Up's Season of Joy stamp set. I just added a little DS Paper (retired from last year) and a little ribbon & taaaa daaaaaa!!! DONE! Sure hope you like it!


Rather than start another post I'll just add to this one...



Here's another one of the cards I did Friday. I'm not that crazy about it...I think I'll attempt it again later & I'll probably make a shaker card with the skating rink next time. We shall see!! I made this circle & used a piece of acetate so I could use it as a frame. (Next time, I'll be smarter & us an already made CD envelope! lol) I used 2 stamp sets on this card: Winter Post, and Lovely as a Tree. I love the scene I created, but after I did it, I wish I had defined the ice rink more than I did. Oh well, next time I'll try that! And I also think I'll make a shaker out of it with some crystal & silver micro-beads. A good job to try for January after every thing calms down!! lol Oh, I wanted to apologize for the lousy pic I took of this, but I couldn't get the glare off the acetate, no matter what I did. A Professional Photographer, I am NOT!!! hehe

Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy and hectic schedules to come here and read my blog. I know it's the hustle and bustle season and I do appreciate your interest. Have a wonderful rest of the nite! Take Care & Happy Stampin!
hugs,

Over The River

Wow, here it is the 22nd! Time is flying bad and before we know it, it'll be Christmas Eve! wooohoooooo! I'm pretty much finished. I've just got a couple more things to wrap and some picking up to do, then I should be pretty welll done.

I still had a few cards to get out a few days ago, and I wanted to do something different for a friend. I was going thru my stash of stamps and I came across an old, old Stampin Up retired set from 2001. It was perfect, just what I was looking for!! It's teddy bears & I was lucky enough to be given it by another stamper, years ago. I dug it out & decided to use it, I had so much fun with it! I really like how it came out. I can see myself using this again & again. I got a little carried away with the Dazzling Diamonds, lol. But I needed lots and lots of sparkles! lol I hope you all like it as much as I do!!!

I've got a few others that I'd like to post, so I'll stop babbling for now!!! hehe
Take care & Happy Stampin!
hugs,

Lovely As A Tree Card

Hi again, I hope I don't shock you by posting twice in one night!!! LOL Too funny!
Here's another favorite of mine...Lovely as a Tree!! This is another simple card, I love how it came out. I sure hope you like it.

Have a great Friday and while you're running your Christmas errands, becareful out there! Thanks again for stopping in.
Take care!
hugs,
Ret

Peaceful Wishes

Hi Stampers!
If I had to pick a favorite stamp set from SU! I don't think I could!!! But I know
that ONE of my favorites is Peaceful Wishes. You can use it in sooo many ways, you can make simple or elegant cards with it. I just love it!!! This card was fairly quick to make. I hope you like it! I know everyone is busy, busy trying to get everything done before Christmas day. Enjoy the Holidays!
Thanks for stopping by. Take care!!!
hugs,
Ret

Lovely as a Tree xmas Shaker Card

Hi All,
Wooo hooo!! I made it here 2 days in a row, aren't you proud of me? lol. Today, I'm showing you an Xmas Shaker card I made from Stampin Up's Lovely as a Tree stamp set. I love this set, you can do so much with it! For this I used an old "in color" Soft Sky. I also used soft sky designer print paper. I used white & silver mini beads in the shaker window. I hope you like it. If you have any questions just shoot me an email. You all have a great rest of the nite. Thanks so much for
stopping by my blog. Please leave me a comment, I just love reading them!
Take care!!!
hugs,
Ret

Hi and a card!

Hi Everyone,
I absolutely don't know where the time is going!! I have been so very tired and sore, but I'm plugging along and filling some card orders. I haven't yet figured out how I'm going to get my own done, mind you, but atleast I'm getting everyone else's done!!! lol

I apologize for not posting as regular as I should be. Everyday I think about it,
and the time just flies right by me like a bird! I've seen so many cute things that you've all been making, they are awesome!!! I'll probably not get to try some of them until "next year", but that's ok, cuz it's not far off!!

I'm going to share this card I made, I hope you like it. I used a non-Christmas stamp set to make this, Barouqe Motifs. I really like how it came out. I put some dazzling diamonds around some of the swirls give it some "bling", but you can't see it in the pic. River Rock and Chocolate chip are the main colors I chose to go with.
I used that gorgeous chocolate chip satin ribbon Stampin Up offered last year on sale. It's so rich, it's one of my favorites. I am going to work hard to come back here daily and update my blog! I'll try, I really will!

I hope your holiday time is going well. The clock is ticking, only 11 days left til Christmas!!!!

Thanks for reading & I'll try to get back here tomorrow :)
hugs,
Ret

To You and Yours

Hi folks, I'm sure you thought I flew the coop! I haven't. I tried to participate in a craft fair, but my body decided it wasn't up to it. My fibromyalgia flared up big time & still is terrible. I'm having a very hard time getting around, so no more craft fairs for me!! I'm spending most of my time resting, but here is a card I made a while ago. I thought I'd post it and give you something to look at :)

Thanks so much for understanding and being so patient. I truly appreciate your kindness. Take care.
Hugs,
Ret

Happy Thanksgiving my fellow Americans!

I'm up bright & early to get Scotty off to work, however, it's not very bright out. It's dark & dingy...raining & foggy...and our snow is SHRINKING!! YESSSSSSSSS!!!
Our 14" of snow is down to about 6, if that, and big patches of green can be seen where Scotty used the snowblower. Gotta love it!

I'm thinking...hmmmmm...maybe, just maybe, I should crawl back in bed an take a little nap. But, before I do that, I wanted to post and tell all my family & American friends out there "I'm wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. As you reflect on what you have to be thankful for, let's not forget our Military, serving for us in a far away land...fighting to keep us free. God bless them and keep them safe.

Today will be a rather wierd day for me, but a good one. I know (from past years here) that I'll be sad at times and happy, too. Doesn't that sound wierd!! I know it does, but I speak the truth. Sometime today, probably a few times, actually...I'll wish I was able to be with my Mom today...(just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes) but I know that it's just not possible and that wll be ok. That has got to be the hardest part of being here, in Canada with my Canadian Hubby, I miss my Mom, dearly and I miss my best friend, Debby. Deb doesn't have a computer, so it makes it extra hard, but we burn up the phone lines now and then, and it's good. I miss my Aunt Gail and the relationship we had. That's not to say I don't miss my other family & friends (& my dear nephew)...cuz I do, but I'm closest to my Mom & Debbie. Oh dear, I'm rambling...
ok, straighten up Ret...*chuckling to myself*

I am grateful today, thankful that I have a wonderful, loving (& sometimes crazy) husband who loves me dearly. I'm thankful that my Mom is still living and is in relatively in good health, I'm thankful that God see's to it that she's able to get around well by herself and that she's happy with her life. It means so much to me, to know she's happy. I'm grateful for my Aunts & Moms love and care. I'm so very grateful that I have some very good and wonderful memories of my dear, dear Dad. We were so close, and even tho I still miss him so much, I'm awfully glad I have the memories that keep him alive in my heart, it brings me peace. Altho, I'm perplexed that I don't have a close friend here in Canada, I'm thankful for the aqaintances I do have. I'm also grateful for my cyber friends that chat with me and check up on me, making sure I'm ok and doing well. I'm thankful that I'm able to have this blog and that I'm able to write and get words out the way I want to. I'm grateful that I'm able to touch people with my words, my pics and my thoughts. I'm also thankful that I'm creative, that I have the ability to put stamps, paper and ink colors together, creating something that will bring a smile to someone's face when they look at it.

I could go on & on & on about my life and what I'm thankful for, but I won't bore you with it. I just wanted to share with you a part of me...and I did, so I'll close for now. Have a wonderful holiday and if you're lucky enough to be with your family, enjoy their company! If you're alone today, have a thoughtful, thankful, peaceful day, full of love and memories. Know that somewhere out there, each of us has someone who cares about us, and we're so fortunate that we do. Enjoy a lovely dinner and don't eat too much turkey!!! lol
Happy Thanksgiving
and hugs to each of you,

Ret

Do you know what this is?

Awwwwwwww, Abs looked out that window the whole time Scotty was snowblowing watching her Dad. I couldn't resist snappin this pic and sharing with you.

Thanks for tolerating my doggie pics!
hugs,

Look what we woke up to!

YUCK! Oh goody, the first MAJOR snow storm of the season. This is a six foot fence, and you can see we got well over a foot, then it drifted in places up to 2-3 feet. YUCK!!





Needless to say, Scotty (dear hubby) is far from impressed. We have one of those carports that you put up yourself, and down it came. It's been there about 3 years, but this time, it just couldn't make it thru it. The metals posts collapsed, and I won't tell ya what Scotty said when he saw that. lol

Abbi is such a little trooper. I opened the door to see how bad it was and she went right out, jumped right in, did her business and ran thru the snow, or should I say, jumped thru the snow and didn't stay to play, she wanted IN! It's a good thing she's light, she kinda stayed mostly on top. Spooky, on the other hand, isn't tiny, and she did NOT stay on top, so it was hard work for her. She gave up and came back in. Her Dear Daddy will snowblow the yard for her. awwwwwwwwwwwwww! lol

Scotty is outside trying to clean up this snow, because another foot is on it's way tonight. Arghhhhhhhhhh!! And I am being the very helpful wifey and I'm staying in the house, taking pictures, like any good wife would do!! chuckle, chuckle

And that's the report from the Cudmore house this morning in snowy Nova Scotia!
I'll be back with a card post later. Til then, take care...
stampin hugs,

It's wayyyyy too early for this...

As long as I've lived here (almost 8 years) we have NEVER had snow this early, so I thought that I'd share it with YOU!! I'm not a big fan of snow, but then again, I don't do any of the winter sports activities. I do have to admit, though, that I do like the look of fresh, bright white new fallen snow on the ground and the trees. It's just so serene. After the first day, I have absolutely no use for it, so it can melt & melt fast!! lol

Just wanted to share this pic of Mother Natures beauty with you. Have a greattttt weekend. Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving comments. I get such enjoyment out of reading your comments. Take Care!
Hugs,

Baroque Motifs Silver

Hi Stampers,
Hope you're all stamping up a storm and having a good week! I apologize for not posting a card last week. I was working very hard on getting ready for a craft fair. I'm in them every fall, but for some sily reason, I never put my stampin projects in it...atleast...not yet. I've decided I'm going to introduce them into the show next fall. It's just that I fill two tables as it is, so I've got to decide what I'm going to leave out, so I can add my stamped goodies!!! I didn't do half as well as I've done in the past couple years in this show. Most vendors didn't. I guess it's just a sign of the times. **sigh**

I'm posting a card I made a while ago, thought you might enjoy it. It's very simple, but I love it! I'll post the recipe later tonight, when I have more time. I just feel so guilty about not posting...so here's the picture part, anyways. :)

Thanks for your patience, it's just been crazzzzzzzzzzy here! You all take care!
hugs,

hello again, hello

Hi, my friends! Well pretty obvious to say that I never made it back to post a card.
I'm pretty busy here with the craft fair. today should get me all set up!! yayyyyy!
Just wanted to let you know, I really appreciate the kind words you've either commented or email me. So kind of you!! It's good to know how many of you out there
in cyber land are patiently waiting for me to get thru this craft show and support me. I'll get back to you later in the weekend.
big hugs,

Sad news

I haven't been on for a few days, I'm sorry. I've been busy trying to get ready
for a craft fair this week-end. I thought I'd be able to post a card this morning, but as it turned out, I ended up at the Vet's. I will try to post one tonight.

I'm sorry to say that our dear Patches is no longer with us. As most of you know she was 18 yrs & 8 months old. She had a heart problem along with severe emphazema,
but she was so driven and strong willed, she wasn't ready to let anything get her down. She still played and had a good quality of life. Until last night. We heard a blood curdling scream, it was her. But she laid quiet for a few minutes
and got up & ate a milk bone. She had a quiet night, but this monring she was not good. Not good at all. It was time...she was tired of it all, and it was time.
She went very quietly. It's been 2 months to the day, since we lost Emmy. Atleast they are both in peace now. Needless to say, it's a sad day here in the Cudmore
house. I'm working on more crafts and I'll try to get back on tonight.
Take care, all. And thanks for listening.
hugs,

A Light Unto My Path

Hi Everyone,

I apologize that I haven't been around for a few days. It was a busier week than usual for some reason, and I am just tired right out. I have Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, so sometimes just doing normal things makes me soooo worn out. Depending on my pain level, some days it's hard just to put one foot in front of the other. I know there are alot of card makers that have the same problem and understand what I'm talking about. I know it could be a whole lot worse, so I'm not complaining. I get by and try to make the very best of it, and I'm really grateful for good days!

I did make one card made! Yay!! This is a beautiful set, I love it and I wish I owned it. I used alot of layers on this card and added and effect by using "direct to paper" technique. All products are Stampin Up. Here's the recipe to make this card:

Stamp Set: A Light Unto My Path

Card Stock: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Bashful Blue

Inks: Chocolate Chip

Ribbon: Bashful Blue

2 Antique Brass Brads

I hope you light this card, I do, it makes me feel so peaceful when I look at it. Love it!

You take care I'll be back sooner, I promise. Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs,

Follow My Blog

I have added a new Gadget to my blog. It's called Cards n Crafts by Ret Followers. Please click on the "Follow this blog" button on my right sidebar and add your name to my followers list. This way when I add a post, you won't miss it, because you'll automatically be notified. Thanks for joining my Followers.

Introducing the rest of the family

I thought as long as I was showing you pics of Abbi, that I would show you our other furry kids. Patches is a cockapoo and is 18 1/2 years old. Spooky is lab/cocker mix and is 15. They get along well with Abbi, altho I'm sure she wishes they could keep up with her when playing! lol

Thanks for looking,

More pics of Abbi

Doesn't it look like she could fly with those bigggg ears! hehe














And here is sleeping beauty!lol Abs took a nap while I was cooking supper...it bored her...so she caught a few winks before she wanted to play again. That dog bed came with her & it is 38" x 36"... for just lil Abbi! She looks so tiny in the middle of it. lol

I hope you don't get sick of seeing Abbi, she's just such a good buddy and I love
sharing her with you's. I'm off to bed, but will be back here tomorrow.

Take care, my friends,

Always

Hi Everyone!

I hope you had a great start to your week. This weekend I brought out my "Always" stamp set and played around with it a little. I'm pretty happy with what I came up with and I hope you like it.

I can't post today without mentioning Abbi. We have had so much fun with that little bundle of energy. She is learning lots of new things and is turning out to be a really, really sweet little thing! And happppy! I swear she smiles!! Okay, Okayyy, I'll stop!! hehe Here's the recipe to the card:

All products are Stampin Up.

Stamp Sets: "Always" stamp set and "En Francais" Background stamp
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Creamy Caramel, Ruby Red
Inks: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel
Punches: small oval & large oval
Ribbon: Chocolalte Chip Taffeta
Post a note pad for masking technique
Sponge for adding & sponging color around edges

I hope you enjoyed this, if you have any questions feel free to email me directly.
Please take a minute and add your comment, I get such a kick out of reading them, they make my day!!!

Stampin hugs,

Twisted Chick Creations Flaxychick: Chocolate Covered Snowflakes

Twisted Chick Creations Flaxychick: Chocolate Covered Snowflakes

Check out Twisted Chick Creations for some awesome creations like "Chocolate covered Snowflakes and some
great blog candy!

Thanks for stopping by,

Just bcause card

Hi All,
I finally used some of my chipboard! I don't really know why, but I never think to use it. So I'm pleased that I finally did! lol I was just fiddlin with this and here's what I came up with. No stamping on this one and I even used a staple which is wayyyy different for me, as you all know. I was able to use up some of my scraps, and that's always a good thing to do. All items are Stampin Up products unless otherwise stated below.

Card Recipe:

Card Stock: Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, More Mustard, Riding Hood Red,
Inks: Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery, White Craft
Chip Board: letter "b"
Black Marker
White Gel Pen
Scallop Edge Punch
Stapler from Dollar Store
1 White Brad
Natural Hemp Twine
Paper Piercer
1 small flower punch I picked up at Michaels years ago
1/8" hole punch
Dimensionals
1" Double-Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon
Word Window Punch
Scor-Pal for scoring
Misc tiny flower stamp from Michaels

And that's it! Put all these scraps together and here's what it turns in to!
I hope you enjoy this one and it will inspire you to use up some of your scraps hanging around on your stampin' table. lol
Have a great rest of the day and thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment.
Stampin hugs,

Update on Abbi

Hi there!!! Guess who got a new do today?! Yuppy, lil miss Abbi! I know, I know...she's got a face only a Mother could love! hehe And do I ever! I think she's adorable and I can't get over the connection we have. Ya, I know, I'm wierd!lol Just wanted to share that cute lil face with ya.

I promise to post some art tomorrow.
Have a great Wednesday!
hugs,

Owl Together Now

Hi Stampers,
Thanks for coming to my blog! Today I have an owly project. I think this set is so cute, but I don't own it. waaaaaaa!

All products are Stampin Up and here's the recipe:

Stamp Set: Owl Together Now

Paper: 2007 Old Olive DSP (I used the DSP for the outside of the card)
Card Stock: Very Vanilla(inside right side), and Chocolate Chip
Inks: Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie
Markers: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Black
Circle Punches: 1 3/8" and 1 1/4"
Ribbon: 5/8" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon
Hemp Twine
Scallop Punch
Dimensionals
Crystal Effects (to make google eyes)

And that's it for this card. Abbi is doing super well and the older gals, Patches
(18), and Spooky (15) have decided they like her. So that makes things alot easier.
Abs is full of vim & vigor, I'll tell ya!!! She makes me exhausted just watching her!! Tires me right out! lol

You all have a wonderful weekend and thanks again for dropping in.

Happy Stampin,