2007 May » » Page 2

One Student and Her Teacher!

Uncategorized 15 Responses »

May 252007

Yes, it’s Friday and thank goodness! I have spent the entire week getting ready for a monumental event in our household. My baby graduates high school tomorrow. It is hard to believe that this is the same little girl that headed out to preschool some 15 years ago in her little frilly dress and black patent leather shoes. Grade school was fun, and I spent most of my time then as a volunteer at school. She floundered a little in 6th grade, was moved around in the 7th to be in classes with the honor students, but not doing the honor’s curriculum. A dear friend of mine taught 8th grade and requested to have Mallory in her class. Upon reviewing her grades and test scores, my friend called me and said “Sherry, this girl needs to be moved into honor classes and I’m moving her now.” What a god send. Come to find out, Mallory was bored. One teacher, having the foresight to look into a student’s history, changed the entire educational experience for my daughter. Mallory has excelled from that point on, taking honors classes all through high school, belonging to Anchor Club and National Honor Society. She has also played varsity tennis and soccer.

Last Sunday, the high school honored those students in the top 10% of the class. The students were requested to invite the teacher that had made the most impact on them during their school years. Mallory invited her 8th grade teacher. I could not think of a more fitting tribute to a teacher, who was delighted to attend the luncheon with Mallory; stating she had been to the luncheon many times before, but none was more special than this year’s. She has watched Mallory grow up through the years. Spent many hours with her inside and outside the classroom. She has given her advice on high school classes, what college dorm to live in, and I’m sure (even though they would not admit it) about boys. How lucky for Mallory that she had a teacher who was so instrumental in changing the path of her education.

I think I have digressed. I wanted to talk about having my youngest daughter graduating and leaving home, but I find talking about the educator that made such an impact on her more important. If it wasn’t for Mallory’s 8th grade teacher, I doubt very seriously Mallory would have attained the achievements that she did in high school. I feel so blessed that one educator picked up a child that was spinning into an abyss, saw her potential and truly made a difference in the life of that child.

Here is a picture of Mallory and her teacher:

What a delightful day we had together and I am so glad that I got to spend time with such a formidable educator as well as an old friend.

I suppose my story of Mallory preparing to leave home will have to wait until another day. Maybe when it finally hits mom that the empty nest is looming!

. . . . and if I get some stamping done later, I’ll be back to show you!

Can You Say Charge!

Challenges, MFT Designs, Stampin' UP! 9 Responses »

May 242007

Happy Thursday! Today has started off with a bang, but I have found a little time to stamp. Mallory insisted that we get her housing and meal plan together for college done this morning – it was just enough to give her a headache. I suppose she now knows what it is like to make some tough decisions. I hate to tell, that there will be a great deal more to make before it’s all over. I have all my heavy cleaning and gardening done finally. All that is left is a sweep of the bathrooms and dusting and I’ll be ready for graduation on Saturday. Of course, I still need to grocery shop and I’m on my way out the door as soon as this post is done.

I had this brainstorm (yes, it did hurt) in the shower this morning for a card I wanted to make. When I checked in on the Ways to Use It Challenge on Splitcoast, it was perfect. The challenge today is to use YoYo Yellow and I could run with that color and still make the card that I had envisioned.

Using the Say Charge set from My Favorite Things, I stamped the main image twice in Stazon Black. I colored the second image with markers and then punched a circle using the 1-1/4″ circle punch. I already knew that my sentiment was going to be in a circle on the bottom of the card, so I pulled out SU’s Seeing Spots. I stamped the circles in Versamark on Whisper White and then embossed using a mixture of UTEE and Holographic EP. I then punched a hole in the bottom using the 1-3/8″ circle punch. I mounted the background that I had just stamped on Tempting Turquoise, found my spot and then punched a 1-1/4″ circle. The sentiment was then punched using a 1″ circle punch. I fretted about the ribbon, and finally decided that one single ribbon running from the sentiment was the best way to go. Once I had all my layers together, Iined up the highlighted/colored image and raised it on dimensionals. The main image and the sentiment were then raised on dimensionals as well. Boy, I hope I’ve covered everything!

Stamps: Seeing Spots, Say Charge by My Favorite Things

Ink: Real Red, YoYo Yellow, Tempting Turquoise, Only Orange, Blush Blossom

Paper: Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Basic Black

Accessories: 1″, 1-1/4″, and 1-3/8″ circle punches, Ribbon, Markers, Dimensionals, UTEE, Holographic EP

Hump Day Happenings

Challenges, Misting with Markers, Stampin' UP!, Techniques 18 Responses »

May 232007

Whoa a day went by yesterday and I did not put ink on that first stamp. I headed out to the garden center early and found some fabulous potted Impatiens and ferns very reasonably priced. So I bought 12 Impatiens and 2 ferns. I decided to stop by my mother’s on the way home to show her and when I got ready to leave my car wouldn’t start. So then I had to call Mallory and have her come up and give me a jump. Once I got home, I placed the pots around where I wanted them, and decided I needed more. So I called my mother, went to get her and we both headed back over to the garden center. Needless to say, she ended up buying just as much as I did the first trip and I bought up the rest of the potted Impatiens. Now I probably spent close to $200 on flowers yesterday, but I’m done! I learned a couple of years ago that I could buy prepotted summer annuals for a heck of a lot less that I could buy flats of bedding plants, the dirt, etc., and then spend 3 days planting the things. In addition now the yard and the deck are ready for the open house this Saturday. I’m still cleaning windows, I only have 1 left, but then I think I need to tidy the rest of the house and shop for food. This is where I always wish that I had a little of Bewitched in me and could just wiggle my nose!

I also have to share this story with you! It’s too funny not too. I went to bed Monday night at 10:50. I was just so tired, and I couldn’t hold my eyes open any longer. The house phone rang at 12:14 but as it is most days around here – not one phone was on the charger. I finally stumbled to the studio, picked up the phone there and the caller hung up. It was a cell phone I didn’t recognize and thought the heck with it, it was probably for one of the girls anyway. I found my way back to bed, got snuggled in and in just about 20 minutes the doorbell rang (with a light rap on the door). Now who is stupid enough to ring a doorbell and then lightly rap on your door at 1:00 in the morning. I pulled myself back out of bed, went to the front door and saw a shadow of a very tall man. Okay now my heart has jumped up into my throat and I flip on the porch light. Yep, it’s an officer (who I thought was county at first) and he starts out as “Mrs. Cheever, I’m Officer So-and-So (don’t want to give his real name) and some boys were out pulling some senior pranks tonight.” Now I know both of my girls are in their rooms sound asleep (but one never knows about the younger one) and I ask him if he needs to come in. He said “No, 3 boys were out tonight putting Crisco on some cars and Mallory’s car was one of them. They made the mistake of getting a car next door to Officer Who’s That (once again, don’t want to give the name) and he called saw them and called it in. The boys are out there right now cleaning off Mallory’s car.” Well, these officers weren’t county, they were State Troopers! We got to laughing about the pranks we used to pull and when I told him I had never even toilet papered a house, he offered to take me right then and there. Anyhoo, he told me that when I walked outside to please act like I was mad. I walked outside with the officer, only knew one of the boys personally, but they were friends of Mallory’s. I came back into the house and woke Mallory up so she could come out and see who it was, etc. The Trooper was making the boys go to every car that they had Crisco’d and apologize to the parents. I LOVE it! Luckily for the boys, the Trooper was not being a hard-nose so that they could walk at graduation this Saturday (since they are all honor students)! We’ve had a great laugh over this and I’m patiently waiting for them to come clean the Crisco out of the front yard.

So now that I’ve blabbered on for a page, let’s get to today’s card. I wanted to put together a quick card to today’s Sketch Challenge on Splitcoast and I did. It actually took may way longer to get a decent photograph than to make the card. I colored the flowers from Happy Harmony with markers, misted with water and then stamped across my main panel. I wanted the sentiment just on the background panel, so I colored the sentiment in marker and then stamped. To give the card a little more dimension, I then stamped the same flowers in Versamark on my background panel and embossed with Dazzling Diamond Dust. I wish all the glitter showed in the photo more, but I was lucky just to get this photo. I love the simplicity of the card so decided against adding any ribbon or brads. The flower panel is raised on mounting tape however.

Stamps: Happy Harmony

Ink: Certainly Celery, Elegant Eggplant, Versamark

Paper: Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Elegant Eggplant

Accessories: Mounting Tape, Dazzling Diamond Dust, Markers

A Cake Bouquet

MFT Designs 7 Responses »

May 212007

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a good weekend and got to enjoy the fabulous weather. We are readying the house for Mallory’s graduation this coming weekend, and I am supposed to be cleaning windows, etc. today. I really think I’m going to head off to the nursery and try to find my summer pots that I like to sit out along the walk. I don’t feel much like cleaning today and the morning has already passed me by as it is. I got a late start today I’m afraid, and I wanted to stamp a little this morning too!

Since I worked in the garden the last few days making a new path, I am sort of in a flowery mood. Today I chose to make a 3×3 card, mainly because of time constraints but I also had this vision in my head last night when I went to bed. I’m not sure that it turned out exactly as I saw it, but I do like it.

I stamped the cake and stand images from You Take the Cake by My Favorite Things, colored with markers and then mounted on Certainly Celery and Black cardstock. I wanted to imitate the doodles of the cake stand and drew those of the sides. Using the small butterfly from Bundles of Bouquets, also from My Favorite Things, I stamped it in Certainly Celery on Certainly Celery and then embossed with holographic EP.

Stamps: Bundles of Bouquets and You Take the Cake – My Favorites Things

Ink: Black Stazon, Certainly Celery, Only Orange, Real Red, Pretty in Pink, Pixie Pink, YoYo Yellow, Almost Amethyst, Perfect Plum

Paper: Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Basic Black

Accessories: Markers, Ribbon, Black Gel Pen, Mounting Tape

I hope everyone has a great day today!

A Fluffles Friday!

Challenges, Copic Markers, Her Badness, MFT Designs, Photography, Techniques 11 Responses »

May 182007

Whoa it’s Friday! This week has gone really fast for me. I actually don’t know where the time went. My daughter’s tennis team won their second round of Sectionals last night – WOO HOO! The final is tonight at 4:30. So if they win tonight, guess what – that puts Regionals on the day of Graduation! Now isn’t that just a big whoop! Of course, there are only two seniors on the team, one being my daughter. It just occurred to me that I have never shown you a picture of Mallory. Katie has been featured on here before so I fair is fair. This is a picture of Mallory with my mother on the night of Baccalaureate.

Now, for today’s challenge on Splitcoast. Friday is the Limited Supply Challenge. Jen has really changed these up in the last few months and is actually limiting the stamps, accessories, etc. I’m finding them so much fun, but I have to be really careful. I always read the instructions, sometimes it just doesn’t sink in though and I find that I’ve made a boo boo! Hah what else is new – I am Her Royal Badness!

For today’s challenge, we are limited to flower images. One flower stamp (no double stamping, no triple stamping – hmmmmmmm wonder if she was thinking of me when she came up with this), one sentiment, one small background, 1-3 colors of cardstock plus white or vanilla, any inks or tools, ribbon, brads, flower punches and the only technique is doodling. Now here is where I almost blew it. I got the card done and thought the edges of the background layers needed something else and was getting ready to run to the sewing machine . . . . . . Then I remembered DOODLING only! So I doodled!

The image is actually one Jen sent me a long time ago. I ran across it the other day, and thought what a perfect image to use today. So, I know it’s a Fluffles but other than that I can’t tell you much else about it. I did however, color the image with Prismacolor pencils and Turpenoid. My one sentiment is the friend stamp from Bundles of Bouquets by My Favorite Things, and my background is the small dot one from Polka Dots and Paisleys. I used my Fiskars scalloped edged scissors to trim the black panel around the image and my corner rounder punch to make the scalloped edge on the panel behind my sentiment. To make the dots I used my Signo white gel pen and the doodles were made with a Pilot extra fine black gel pen.

Stamps: Fluffles image received from Jen, Polka Dots and Paisleys, Bundles of Bouquets from My Favorite Things

Ink: Bashful Blue

Paper: Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Black

Accessories: Signo white gel pen, Pilot black gel pen, Ribbon, Mounting Tape, Prismacolor Pencils, Turpenoid, Blending Stumps