All posts by happylifecrafting

About happylifecrafting

I am the wife of a Woodturner, the Mother of five, Full of life, happy and God loving, adult children, the Grandmother of six beautiful and healthy, Grandchildren, I am a Stampin up demonstrator, the CEO of the Whispering Woodturner, a spinner, knitter, crocheter, felter, scrapbooker, card maker, family chef, a sister and a friend. I owe all I am and all I have to my creator and savior, and I lean on him for courage, strength and wisdom.

Tuesday Stamp Class

Good greetings

A Birdseye  view into our Tuesday stamp class. Thank you Janice and Jeanette for your continued participation, and of course I’m always grateful that you help support my habit. I look forward to every class!

    

 Janice, making the “lovely as a tree” Christmas card. Technique: alcohol coloring and stamping off, to create images in the distance. The Lovely as a Tree stamp set is the longest running, available stamp set in the history of Stamping up. It is known for its versatility in card making. Here it is  being used to make a Christmas card, but works well for masculine, sympathy, fall and nature themed cards. It is one of my favs. 

  

Jeanette, working on the “guy greetings” card. Technique: stamping on burlap, creating layers stamping on printed paper, and customizing a photopolymer stamp. The Guy Greetings stamp set is awesome for making guy cards of any type, this includes, graduation, any celebration, birthday and Father’s Day. 

 Both of these stamp sets are great staples to have in your card making supplies. 

It is always fun creating with these ladies! 

Please contact me if you have any questions…… You can visit my store to shop for either of these awesome stamp sets . 

Be happy ….and have a happy life crafting….

Janette

Happy Memorial Day 

Today is about remembering those who committed their lives and died to fight for our country and freedom. We have the  privilege to freely go about our day celebrating, remembering that our freedom came at a price. We should also remember that tragedy can strike at any time, to anyone, anywhere. So, please while celebrating with friends and family today, take the time to be grateful for their lives, that they are still with us. Lets freely, celebrate life…..

TIMBER!


This has been an eventful weekend….Steve and Robert our #1 grandson cut a few trees down that desperately needed to go. The fuller the trees get the more shade for our lawn, which equals dead grass. A job well done !

Brandie and I took a paint class together. It was a very, enjoyable. Brandie our #1, daughter and the mother of four of our grandchildren, doesn’t have much time to herself, so I consider this trip to Pinots Palatte  a real treat.   

Joseph our #2, son got a 101 painting lesson on a two story, high ceiling, bathroom.  Cutting in, on a high ladder was the technique of necessity.  Hunky saved the day…..I remember feeling disappointment when projects didn’t turn out quite how I thought…..home improvement projects can’t really be left up to Joseph’s definition of art, that I mentioned in my last post. I know he agrees with that!  I can’t wait to see the finished  bathroom.

A little card fun… A sneek peak for sure. Using the new DSP, card stock and backround stamp from the ….. Set.  A maritime theme without red white and blue ….


Yard work and more yard work…………all work and no play can make anyone a dull boy!

Lake Lanier here we come! Here is to family, food, friends, freedom, life……and remembering all the fallen soldiers, country men and women who gave their lives for our freedom.

Enjoy responsilbly….

Be happy……and have a happy life crafting !

Janette

When plan A fails

Good greetings, , ,

I am so excited about the sneak peek items from Stampin up. I made a few cards today ……it’s always relaxing and enjoyable creating cards. The featured card on today’s blog Is a combination of current product and upcoming release.  I know many people are disappointed that the Blendabilities are no longer available, I too feel disappointed…… But when plan A doesn’t work out, you move on to plan B.

Stampin up has some beautiful water color images being released on June 2nd.  Not only can you water color them, but you can alcohol color them…..I heard a tip at the last Stampin up meeting I attended…..I’m going to share it here: Plan B…….. instead of putting water in the aqua pens, you add 91% alcohol and color as usual. Isn’t that a great idea? I tried it, and I love it!

Here is the setup for alcohol coloring. I used an acrylic stamping block as my paint palette, and selected two water based ink refill, colors that I liked. You only need a drop of each color. The more you dilute the ink with the alcohol the lighter the color will be. I suggest that you layer the colors and let the paper dry in between layers. You’ll want to highlight with more ink where the shadow areas are. You may need to practice on a couple images to get the hang of it. Have fun with it, and as my Son, Joseph always says, “anything you create is art”…..so there is no wrong way. Make it original.  If you are wondering what ink I used to stamp the image, it was momento tuxedo black. It must be a non alcohol ink. The paper I used is whisper white card stock from stampinup. It worked great. The image I used is from the “Best thoughts” stamp set which is the new hostess stamp set, being released on June 2nd. The flower is a  hydrangea and it is stunning. 

In this image the colors are very light….now it’s time to add layers of color, to highlight.  

 

Here is another layer of color.  

 

 This is my finished hydrangea…..I added the white dots with a white uni-ball, signo, jell pen …which is also available through stampinup.  

This next image is the completed card.  The rest of the materials to make this card are listed below the image.  

 

Cardstock colors: hello honey, old olive, and rich razzle berry designer series paper (DSP). The button is from the  brights collection of designer buttons. The bow is linen thread. I used the heart border punch to create the top and bottom borders.

All of the items on this card are from Stampin up….if you would like to purchase any of these items please visit my Stampin up store, by clicking the menu tab at the top of my blog. It will take you straight there. Or click on this link: http://www.janettespapercrafts.stampinup.net

One of the awesome things about Stampin up is that the materials are color coordinated. When people ask me ” where do I start? ” when it comes to buying Stampin up product, I always  tell them to start with the season of colors that are happening now, and pick out a stamp set that works with that season. Slowly but surely, you will build your supplies and be able to to whip up cards for any occasion.

Be happy… And have a happy life crafting.

Janette

Friday fun day

Good greetings

Friday is my favorite day…..because it’s the last day of the week that my Hunky has to leave for work…..and gets to be home…yea!

The weekends are always refreshing, it’s the time to relax, get organized for the next week, finish a project, spend time with friends and family….and just enjoy life on your own time schedule.

Keeping everyone who needed special prayers this week on my prayer list….

I’m off to scrap with Beth…. Yes, it’s a fun Friday!

I have a quick photo to share ….this is a card I created from the card challenge given by Kathleen, my stampin’up upline.


Have a fun Friday and a great weekend.

Be happy… And have a happy life crafting.

Janette

Sprinkles of life Sneak peek 

Good greetings, sneak peek 2015-16, , ,

After spending the morning with my Thursday knitting group, sharing stories and catching up with what everyone has been doing; I came home and put my creative hat on to play with the Sprinkles of Life stamp set. It is in the new catalog and will be available on June 2nd.

When you purchase this stamp set, Stampin’ up will donate $3.00 to the, Ronald Mc Donald House Charity.

It is a very, fun stamp… Ice cream anyone? 

Cupcakes…yummy.

And thinking out of the box…….a barrel of apples….. How cute is that?
 The possibilities are as vast as your imagination.

Stay tuned for more Sneak peeks.

Be happy …and have a happy life crafting!

Janette

All things Fiber

Knitting, ,

Today was filled with knitting. We have a little knitting store called Fleece here in town, that I have been frequenting for five years. Every Wednesday, they have what’s called Tea and Talk with Libby. You can bring whatever project you are working on, to knit. It’s free of charge and runs from 1-3. The knitting inspiration is phenomenal and so worthwhile. The ladies that attend are very seasoned knitters. Through the years we have seen people come and go, and always welcome new knitters. We have shared a lot of laughs, sorrows, and we support each other through difficult times as well as the fun times….. I can’t begin to tell you how enriched my life is, by meeting and getting to know all the ladies that I call friends. 

This is a picture of what I’m working on. It’s the Sanibel Cowl. I’m using Sanibel yarn and the pattern can be found at: http://www.ravelry.com 

    

I will call it ” Kentucky “, because I worked on it during our drive and while we were in Kentucky….

I am grateful for my knitting friends, and I’m grateful that knitting is an outlet to relieve anxiety and to express myself. It is also a perfect way to to give handmade gifts to loved ones and friends. 

Mr. Brown stopped by to bring a delivery….. Guess what it was? The sneak peek product from the new 2015-16 catalog, from Stampin’up. ( the release date is June 2nd) I’m really looking forward to crafting with all the new product.

  

  Between the cute, paper pumpkin kit this month and this delivery, I’m  not sure what I will use first ….I sure hope I am hit with some inspiration tomorrow. 

It was a great day filled with all things fiber….

Dinner awaits….

Be happy…. And have a happy life crafting.

Janette

Little hands and stages

My life

Today was a special treat…. Our #3 Grandson Gavin, had his completion of Kindergarten, celebration. The class did a chorus presentation, an award ceremony, where the kids walked down the red carpet to receive personalized awards, and a little brunch for the families. Gavin was presented with the “Future Detective” award. Very appropriate for this little guy; He always knows the who, what, where, and why of everyone and everything. I say that with the utmost affection for him. He has an infectious smile, that lights up a room and can brighten anyone’s day.  

 

Selfie ……Mommy and me with all three. Cheeeeeese!  It always cracks me up how the little ones automatically say cheese when the camera comes out…..and its the long, drug out version, cheeeeeeeeese. 

  

Walking down the hallway to Gavin’s class, I saw this banner outside their room. 
 This sign brought tears to my eyes. Life is a journey …..when you are little you can’t wait for time to pass. When is next Christmas? How soon will my next Birthday be?  Am I starting school this year?  How tall am I now?  Are my teeth going to fall out, too? Do you remember always looking forward to what was going to happen next ?  Now that I am older, I spend a lot of time reflecting back. I look back on the days when my kids were young, remembering their growing up years…..Time moves slower when your looking forward with expectation.

  This banner took me straight back…… The little hand prints  ……. So cute and small. Holding them to cross the street. Wiping them to keep clean. Kissing them because they were so sweet….Where does the time go? So many memories.

I always say that life happens in stages. Just as many of you reading this blog, I too have gone through many stages …. Some good, some bad……I wouldn’t trade those stages for anything. I am truly grateful for this stage of my life, commonly called the empty nest stage. It means, that I graduated to the next stage. It means, that I get to do things that I often didn’t have time to do, before. It means, that I have new hands to kiss, wipe and hold, little,cute hands…..  

 Congratulations Gavin, for graduating to your next stage…… And giving your Grandma something to look forward to.

Sweet dreams….

Be happy….and have a happy life crafting

Janette

A busy Stamping day

Good greetings, Masculine greeting cards, , ,

We arrived home, after a long drive from Kentucky, at midnight. It is always such a treat to be in your own bed. I always tell Steve, that I can here the angels sing once my body hits the mattress. 

Rise and shine! Lots to do today….. First things first…..As I shared on an earlier post, my Hunky is a Woodturner. We travel to different states throughout the year, to various fiber festivals selling our wares.  During the month of May we went to Maryland and Kentucky. Needless to say our Etsy store suffered with very little to no merchandise. So, I spent the morning posting much needed inventory, in our shop. You can view our shop at: http://www.whisperingwoodturner.com

Once the basics of the day were In order, I locked myself in the craft room to satisfy paper and stamping  withdrawals. I needed to make six, masculine, swap cards for my upline, stamp meeting this evening. I have also been chomping at the bit, to create a few new cards for some upcoming classes. I wasted no time pulling, paper, stamps, inks and embelishments out to design a few cards. Before long, I came up with these:  

   
    The stamp set I used is Guy Greetings, by Stampin’ up. It is a very fun and versatile stamp set to make masculine greeting cards. It is available now in the occasions catalog and will be carried over in the new  Stampin’ up 2015-2016 catalog, which launches on June 2. If you are interested in the stamp set or any stampin’up product please visit my Stampin store at: http://www.janettespapercrafts.stampinup.net

It’s been a great day….I hope you enjoy the cards….. Feel free to “CASE”…..copy and share everything!

Be happy…and have a happy life crafting

Janette

“Kentucky” Fried, Finger Licking Good

Cooking is a craft

A trip to Kentucky wouldn’t be complete without stopping at the second, most  popular fast food chain  in the world. Chicken, yummy, fried chicken. The Colonel still has the best chicken when homemade is not available, and I’m not afraid to admit that Kentucky Fried  Chicken is one of my weaknesses.

The coleslaw is my all time favorite, too. As much as I have tried to duplicate the coleslaw recipe I have not been as successful as I have been,  with most other recipes.  If any one reading this has a great coleslaw recipe they would like to share, I would certainly give it a try and encourage you to share it on happylifecrafting.  Because cooking is a craft… Right?

There was a time , not too long ago when the only place I could afford to spend money, was in a grocery store. Looking back, those were very special days, because I use to express my creative side in the kitchen. I poured my heart and soul into learning how to cook and prepare tasty dishes for my family. A value can never be placed, on the vast collection of  recipes in my pantry.   I’ll be collecting recipes until the end of my time and would really like to add a delicious coleslaw recipe to the collection So, please share.

Good bye Kentucky, good bye fiber festival , horses and bourbon….  But as long as the Colonels finger licking legacy lives on, I’ll be visiting his place at home, in Georgia ….

May the recipe collection in my kitchen, which reflects all the places I’ve been and the people who have touched my life, be a legacy to my children.

Here is a link if you would like to learn more about the Colonel and his Legacy.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Sanders

Be happy…. And have a happy life crafting !

Janette

Horses and Bourbon

Life as the wife of a Woodturner, ,

Steve and I are in the state known for horses and bourbon, good ole ‘ Kentucky. 

 The down pour of rain has not stopped the folks of Kentucky from coming out to the wool and fiber fair.    

 

We are thankful to be inside on this very, rainy day. 

 

Here’s a few pictures of our booth set up.

 Steve recently started turning darning eggs. If you don’t have your great grandmothers darning egg and you knit socks you could probably use one.  Here is the search info for a you tube video to see how to darn, hand knitted socks; Sock darning-Swiss darning, part 1 and sock darning -Swiss darning part 2. I’m on my I pad so I dont have the URL. When I get to a computer I will learn how to attach the URL and post it. 

  
  Enjoy your day from wherever you are ….who knows Steve and I may saddle up a horse after we sip some bourbon. 

Be happy …..and have a happy life crafting. 

Janette