I really do have a good excuse this time :)

Thanks to all of my faithful blog followers!  It's been a week without a peep from me.  I was out of town visiting the hubby's extended family in Illinois since the wee hours of the morning on Friday... 3:45am to be exact... yep, that's when we left.  OMG... I am sooooooooo NOT a morning person.  I should have just stayed up instead of taking an hour & a half nap before we left  :)  Seven hours later, we pull up to Poot's cousin's house situated out in the country near Carlock.  

We were able to see several aunts, uncles, cousins, and of course Grandma K.  They are THE nicest group of people you'd want to meet.  I mean, they are truly genuine... I don't know if it is because most live in small towns or what, but it was such a wonderful visit.  Most of them don't have a tv because it takes too much time away from family interaction... how great is that?!  I know I am addicted to tv & the net, so this weekend was a nice relaxing, unplugged time!  

I did manage to get a couple of images colored in so that I can create something for your viewing pleasure in the next day or so.  

I promise.  

No, reeeeeeaaaally.  

I mean it.  

Seriously.  :)

Did ya' miss me?
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Check it!

I almost forgot!  You should go check out my WOSFF Laurie's blog... she made the cutest card out of a drawing I gave her.  Great card, girl!

Find it HERE!

I'm supposed to be working...

... from home today, but I just can't seem to get started.  It is so cold & windy here... and the shining sun is just a tease.  As if to say, "it really isn't that cold out here"... what-e-v-e-r!  There is a big o' draft coming from my sliding glass door... NOT GOOD.  Well... enough griping... on to the fun stuff!

Another button tree.  And more of that swirly pink paper... yummy :)  That little birdie is just so cute... staring at the wintery swirls... freezin' her tail feathers off!  Or maybe I'm just reading that into it based on the aforementioned gust of wind blasting through my house ;)

Stamps:  Early Bird, Hello Snow (both retired TAC)
Paper:  Toodle Loo & Premium white cardstocks, Bo Bunny dp
Ink:  Noir Palette
Other:  White Scrapper's Floss, Icicle Stickles,Cloud scissors, foam tape, Copics, misc. buttons & fuzzy rick rack trim

So sorry I've been bad about posting, but my mojo has not been showing up lately.  I actually had to force myself to do this one!  Tonight should be fun, so maybe it will bring me back.


What do you think?


BTW... Carol claimed her prize, so NO MORE PRIZE DRAWINGS FOR YOU (to be said soup-nazi style)! 
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The March of the Snowman Blog Candy winner...

... is...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

43

Timestamp: 2009-12-08 18:35:42 UTC

Carol M said...

WOW! What a great snowman and you are an inspiration for fellow angels.

December 5, 2009 9:18 AM

 

 

Yeay!  Congratulations, Carol... just email me your snail mail and I'll get a little mystery package out to you!  If I don't hear from you by Monday, I'll draw another winner!

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March of the Snowmen Blog Hop!

Hello to all of you Frosty fans!  I know you've got that song playing in your head now... "thumpity thump thump, thumpity thump thump, look at Frosty go..."  And it will be playing there all day... haaa haaa {suckers :)}

Well, today I'm participating in the 1st Annual March of the Snowmen Blog Hop  :)  A bunch of us wanted to share our love for those blustery winter icons of the season... papercraft style!  

You might also want to know that many of the participants are giving away Blog Candy!  I'm not telling you who or what, so you'll just have to visit everyone to find out ;)  I will tell you that I'll randomly select a name from all comments left on this post for a little mystery giveaway of my own!

Thanks to Melisa Waldorf for organizing this hop {mwah!}  There are a ton of talented ladies on this journey, so be sure to visit them and show them some love:


Angella Crockett
Barb Foster - this is me :)
Deb Felts
Jen Carter
JenMarie Taylor 
Jodi Heuser
Kelly Landers
Latisha Yoast
Laurie Unger
Laurie Willison
Linda Duke
Melisa Waldorf - our fearless leader :)
Michelle Bartnett
Mona Pendleton
Pam Imholz
Stacy Rogers

I had planned to have a plethora of chilly goodies to show you today, but alas... time once again slipped away from me.  BUT, I did manage to finish this guy... doesn't he look like he's playing in the falling snow?!

I needed a large snowman image and I just didn't have one in my rubber stamp arsenal ;)  So, what's a girl to do?
 
Draw one by hand.
 
Oh yeah, baby...
...that's what I'm talkin'-bout :)
 

I blocked out my card front on a piece of copy paper and sketched my snowman in pencil.  Then I traced him onto white cardstock with a micron pen, using my light table.  The micron pen worked nicely, as it didn't smear when I used the mineral oil blending with my Prismacolors.  I will say that I messed up the scarf, but I'll fix it next time I draw another one ;)

Anyhoo... after coloring him (or her?) up, I cut him out and popped him up on dimensionals.  I added a ripped cardstock snowdrift and a love-erly shimmery bow.  Then... I went Stickle-happy (gee, ya' think?)!  Yep, using Icicle Stickles, I attacked the snowdrift, the snowman (even his hands!), AND the Bo Bunny background paper :)  Everything is better with Stickles!

Image:  hand drawn by moi :)
Paper:  Toodle Loo (pink), UltraSmooth & Premium white cardstocks and Bo Bunny dp
Colorant:  Micron ink pen, Prismacolors w/ mineral oil blending
Other:  Icicle Stickles, misc. sheer ribbon, Pop Dots

Oh... you want more snowmen?  How about these oldies but goodies from waaaaaaaaaay back... gift tags using the ol' Sizzix & some retired stamps from The Angel Company!


AND if you want to see more you can go HERE!


Thanks for joining me for a bit o' frosty goodness!  Be sure to hop over to the other March of the Snowmen participants for even more wonderful snowman creations!!

What do you think?
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OMG... Barb ACTUALLY cooked...

Yes... yes it's true :)  I made enough potato soup to feed a small country!

Barb Foster's Potato Soup




Ingredients:

• (1) 5 lb. bag o' yellow potatoes
• (1) 16 oz.  bag o' carrots
• 1 large white onion
• 1/2 large brick o' Velveeta
• 1-1/2 sticks o' butter
  
• 1% milk (I just pour until I get it right, so you are on your own!)
• granulated garlic
• fresh cracked pepper
• sea salt
• 1 tbs. Mock Spinach (dill mix) pantry staple (Homemade Gourmet)
• 2 tbs. Garlic Basil pantry staple (Homemade Gourmet)

Directions:
Wash potatoes well... no need to peel 'em!!  Cut into small cubes and cover with water in HUGE Dutch Oven pot (trust me, it will need to be a biggie) and start boiling.  Meanwhile, shred or finely dice carrots & onion and saute with 1/2 stick butter, healthy sprinkling of garlic, pepper, sea salt, the Mock Spinach mix, and 1 tbs. Garlic Basil mix in deep skillet.

Potatoes should be cooked so that a fork can easily poke through.  Drain so that most of the water is gone, leaving about "three fingers" of water in the bottom.  Add stick of butter & cubed Velveeta to melt.  The carrot-onion mixture can be added at this time to speed up melting process.

Start adding milk after butter & cheese are melted (or close to it).  I added a lot... it all depends on how thin of a base you want.  Add one more tbs. of Garlic Basil, and simmer until piping hot.

We like thicker soups & stews and this soup almost has a bisque base... a result from the mixing & melting process.  Yummy.

I plan to freeze most of this so we can have it throughout the winter.  If you decided to try this, may I suggest you half the recipe, and let me know how you like it!!

What do you think?
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Be on the look-out...

This Saturday, December 5th, I'll be participating in the first annual March of the Snowmen Blog Hop!!  So if you are a fan of Frosty, be sure to stop by!

I know...

... it's been awhile.  But can you believe I haven't even wanted to go into my stamp room?!  Blasphomy, right?  :)  So I leave you with this uber-easy, not-so-great holiday card.

Stamps:  Peace
Paper:  kraft cardstock
Ink:  Memento Cocoa
Other:  Brown Scrapper's Floss, Scor-bug, Stardust clear gelly pen, misc. ribbon, PTI button

What do you think?
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Black Friday card quickie...

This is the first year in a long time that I haven't been one of the brave, or should we say CRAZY, people to venture out on Black Friday.  It helps that I don't have any spending money this year :)  

No, this year we will not be exchanging gifts... well not a lot... a couple of my very dear friends and I DID make a deal that we are only making handmade items with materials we already have on hand.  I haven't started mine yet :)  I don't even have an idea yet.  Scary.

Anyway, today I'm sharing a Christmas card quickie.  No layers!  I also wanted to show how different the same image can look depending on the coloring medium.  The reindeer image is from a retired TAC set called Christmas Fun, sentiment from Holiday Cheer, I used the Scor-Pal & Scor-Bug (again), and the ink is Memento Tuxedo.

This one is colored with Prismacolor pencils blended with mineral oil using artist blending stumps.  I'm able to get a large range of color & shading with pencils at a reasonable price.  We all know this is my favorite coloring medium :)

This one was done with Copic markers.  I know I could have done better had I owned a larger range of browns.  I do like how this reindeer looks fuzzy (furry)... this is achieved by going back over the brown with the colorless blender in a dotting pattern.  I've seen some great examples on the net using this method with a larger color range and they look so much better.

What do you think?
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Something a little vintage...

Real quick post today...

Occasionally, I'll get into an old-school, vintage mode... though I'll give it a little mod twist.  Case in point... this butterfly card.  Fabric & buttons oh my :)

Stamps:  True Beauty
Paper:  Toodle Loo, Angelee, White UltraSmooth, & Mulberry Meadow (retired) cardstocks
Ink:  Burnt Umber & Noir Palettes
Other:  Prismacolors w/ mineral oil blending, Cloud scissors, BG ribbon, PTI & misc. buttons, twine, EK Success punch, circle punch & fabric doily

A few weeks ago, I had soaked a white doily in a strong tea bath for several hours to age it a bit.  This is a quarter of the doily, so I have more for later projects.  I keep fabric scraps & such in a huge glass canister next to my table... it's really fun to go rummaging through it once in a while :)


What do you think?
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Squirrely Girl

Sorry guys... computer issues strike again... I haven't had access to mine all weekend.  I could check email from the laptop, but no photo editing, online forum discussions, google reader... nothin'!  I really didn't like it... I am such a junkie.   

Hi, my name is Barb, and I have a love/hate relationship with my computer 

{in unison "Hi, Barb"}

So, back to the good stuff for today.  I've been working on Halloween & Christmas cards year-round, so I thought it was high time to get an Autumn card in before November ends :)

Isn't she cute?  There's also an image with her & a snowman in the set that is just adorable.  I colored her with Prismacolors & mineral oil... rosey cheeks and all :)

Stamps:  Squirrely Girl, Trendy Greetings
Paper:  Penelope SWIC, Penelope, Kraft, DCWV lime green & Ivory UltraSmooth cardstocks
Ink:  Memento Cocoa
Other:  Marvy Flower punch, EK Success border punch, Scor-Bug,  misc. ribbon


What do you think?
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Blog Candy Winner!

Out of 77 comments... via Random.org... the big winner is:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

27

Timestamp: 2009-11-21 00:21:39 UTC

AND... if you scroll down through the comments, you come across this:

nadine said...

love the snowgirl! so hard to make a choice though, they are all AHHH-mazing :)))

November 16, 2009 7:46 AM

Yeay, Nadine Fuller!  Just pop over to my sidebar and shoot me an email with your mailing address... the goodie box is almost ready to go!

AND, in case y'all were wondering what the most popular vote was for THE Christmas card this season...

Cool Snow Girl

So, there you have it.  :)  Have a great weekend, and I hope you all get in a little creative time!

You are my sunshine :)

Does this just NOT make you smile?!  

That single little blue bird in the autumn tree... I'm gonna say it... FREAKIN' A-DOR-A-BLE.  I love love LOVE this TAC stamp from last year :)  I've also had this jar o' harvest colored buttons staring at me for months... I couldn't take it anymore, and the autumn button tree was born.  I've been seeing trees o' buttons all over the net and finally came up with this little bebe.

Stamps:  This Girl (sentiment), Early Bird (retired)
Paper:  Ivory UltraSmooth cardstock, kraft packing paper
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo, Burnt Umber Palette
Other:  Copic markers, brown Scrapper's Floss, Glue Dots, misc. buttons

The part that took the longest on this bad boy, was tying all of the floss to the buttons... but it looks soooooo much more finished off than if the buttons had been left plain.  Glue Dots are the BEST adhesive to hold buttons onto cardstock that I have found so far... two thumbs up {insert cheesy grin here}.

I left the card pretty plain, but I really like it.  You can't really see it, but I did a little subtle sponging with brown ink on the main panel.


What do you think?

p.s... only one more day to enter for the blog candy drawing!  Click HERE if you haven't entered yet!

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A little Monkey Business...

I was going through my card stash the other day, and I have noticed that I make a TON of love cards... ask my hubby how many he's received over the years ;)  
{to be read as:  not many... why else would they still be in my stash :)}

So this time, how about a "like" card?   It's kinda like love, right... what you're really trying to say is:  I love you, but I just don't want to say it out loud yet ;)

How cute are these monkeys?  Pretty darn... I know.  The first guy is stamped right on the white base along with all of the tree branches, but the other two dudes are cut out... oh yes... yes... they... are.  Are your fingers spasming just thinking about it?!


But the effect is great.  Having the two guys cut out allowed me to arrange them willy-nilly until I liked 'em.  Willy-nilly should not to be confused with Milli Vanilli... you 80's fans know what I'm talkin' 'bout :)

Once again I used my Prismacolors with mineral oil... it really worked great on getting dimension on their faces.  The "Oooo, Oooo, Oooo" (monkey-speak) was stamped with TAC's Mini-bet, and the sentiment within the sponged circle is from Tag Tidbits.  The monkeys & branch are from Monkey Business, and the patterned paper is Mulberry Meadow (sadly, retired).


What's cool about this set, is that you can dress the monkeys... paper doll style.  Overalls, shorts... there are even flip-flops!  Cute cute stuff.


What do you think?

ps:  don't forget to click in the upper right hand corner to enter my blog candy!
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