Merry Christmas To All And To All...

Greetings from my wee farm.  First let me say thank you to all those who are followers and those who visit now and then.  I love your comments!  We all need love and encouragement and we never get too old for a big hug!

So many of you have expressed sorrow for our rooster's untimely demise.  I need to tell you that Jack was the rooster from hell.  The last time Jack attacked me he was quite vicious and it took Art three good kicks to get him off me.  The last kick hit solid and Jack went flying  through the air tail feathers just a flying.  That dag gone rooster will not be attacking me again!!!

This is my last make for the year.  I am quite fond of the card in that I did some experimenting with different kinds of embossing powders.  Then I tried to antique a metal snow flake and messed around with that for a while.  You should see my hands! 

I love this hobby and the friends I have made.  Y'all always knock my socks off with your creativity.
I wish I could send this card to everyone one of you!

 I am entering my Christmas card in the challenge over at Our Creative Corner.  See y'all there!





Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!

Sandy

Visions of Sugarplums and Other Matters of the Heart

I should have known the day was not going to go right when our rooster, Jack, expired and not by natural causes.   But that is a story for another day.

I really don't know what to say other than I am exhausted and very disappointed in my make for several reasons.  I made a mini album out of red business envelopes.  Of course there was a tutorial on Youtube.   Much to my horror I discovered that when I put the album together, the pages were way too fat and did not behave well at all.  Then for some weird reason the colors were really off in the pictures.   All in all it is not too bad and I did learn a lot from the experience.  Next year I will start much earlier to accommodate for mistakes and trial and error.  So let's just get to it!  I give you my The Twelve Days of Christmas mini album.

This is the front and some of the back. It really does look better than the picture.

This is looking at the inside - a good example of the color showing up all wrong!!

Open this baby up and you will see the inside cover and first page.  Keep in mind that the pages are made from folded envelopes.  There are two pockets on a page, and a third one in the very top and one in the side which I will show you later.

Do you see the thumb print on the top left hand page?  That is where you can put an insert be it for family pictures or favorite recipes you use at Christmas. 

This is a tag that was in a small envelope  on the right hand side of the previous page.

Just another page ...

Do you see the gold at the very top of the right hand page and at the side?  Those are showing you how the  inserts pull out.

I do love my Lord dancing!  He is a tag in the right previous page.

This is the last page of the book - again you can see the gold insert sticking out of the top.

There are eight pages inside my Christmas album - my gift to you - I did not show you all eight pages.

Please visit my friends who have also posted today - the very last day of our Christmas hop.  Remember, the more you comment, the more chances you have to win!

Lori -http://lorihairston.blogspot.com/

Debbie - http://www.papersweeties.com/category/blog/

Maria - http://asimplefive.blogspot.com/

Ira - http://irascreacorner.blogspot.com/

Sandy - http://simplysandy-sandy.blogspot.com/

Vivian - http://vivs-whimsy.blogspot.com/

May - http://mayshappydaze.blogspot.com/

Amber - http://www.damasklove.com/

Ignacio - http://nicecranedesigns.blogspot.com/

Giveaways:  $10 gift certificate - Paper Sweeties - http://www.papersweeties.com/

                   1 set of choice -  Moonlighting by Mary - http://www.etsy.com/shop/MoonlightingByMary

                   1 set of choice - Digital Paper - http://www.etsy.com/shop/bydigitalpaper

                   1 set of choice - Graphic Market - https://www.etsy.com/shop/GraphicMarket

                       $20 gift certificate  - Nicecrane Designs - http://www.nicecranedesigns.com        

                        Lori's Giveaway - mine will grow each day and then I'll give it all away to one lucky winner

I too will give Graphic 45 Twelve Days of Christmas paper  to two lucky winners today.  So leave your comments and Lori will pick the winners from the comments.

I think you know how much I appreciate your visit and sweet comments.  Happy Holidays Y'all!
Sandy

Christmas Cheer!

Hey Y'all!  This is my second post for Visions of Sugarplums hosted by Lori Hairston.
I have a few more bags for you.   These little bags I did make myself and they would be cute to use as party favors for when you have a few friends over for a little Holiday cheer.

I love these cute elves and what a beautiful fairy!  I bought these charming images from Ignacio at Nicecrane Designs.

Guess what I put in these neat little bags?  Why HPNOTIQ, a French liqueur.  Now doesn't that sound festive!!!!!

So now it is time to visit my friends at the party.

Wednesday, Dec. 4th:

Lori -http://lorihairston.blogspot.com/

Debbie - http://www.papersweeties.com/category/blog/

Maria - http://asimplefive.blogspot.com/

Lisa - http://minkimpressions.blogspot.com/

Sandy - http://simplysandy-sandy.blogspot.com/

Beatriz - http://iralamija.blogspot.com/ 

Vivian - http://vivs-whimsy.blogspot.com/

May - http://mayshappydaze.blogspot.com/

Ignacio - http://nicecranedesigns.blogspot.com/

Giveaways: $10 gift certificate - Paper Sweeties - http://www.papersweeties.com/

                  1 set of choice -  Moonlighting by Mary - http://www.etsy.com/shop/MoonlightingByMary

                  1 set of choice - Iralamija http://www.etsy.com/shop/iralamijashop

                  1 digital set of choice - Vintage Remix - https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheVintageRemix

                  $20 gift certificate  - Nicecrane Designs - http://www.nicecranedesigns.com   
                  Vintage Remix - 2 sets of choice

Congratulations to the winners .  Don't forget, the more you comment, the more chances you have on winning!

I hope you are enjoying yourself at our Christmas Hop and I will see y'all real soon.  Good luck to all of you bloggers out there in Wonderland.
Sandy 

We Need A LITTLE Christmas

Today is the first of December - would somebody please tell me where Halloween went?

Welcome to the VISIONS OF SUGARPLUMS blog hop with wonderful Christmas ideas and some pretty neat gifts too!

I have made a few little Christmas cards out of some very tiny paper bags.  The entire card when closed measures about three inches by three and a half inches.

This is a paper bag that measures 3.5 in x 2 in x 6.75inches.  It is a folded so it can be closed by a little tie with red beads. Now let's open it up!  The bottom of the card has two flaps to hold inserts or tags.

 This is the front of the little Christmas card that is inside the bag.  It measures about 2.25 in x a little over 3 inches.  And the inside of this cute little card is below.

I will quickly show you the other two paper bag cards - no further explanation needed.

That's my Wee Christmas makes for today.

The following friends have some really wonderful Christmas makes and for every comment you leave, you have an additional chance to win!!!!!

Lori -http://lorihairston.blogspot.com/

Debbie - http://www.papersweeties.com/category/blog/

Maria - http://asimplefive.blogspot.com/

Regina - http://reginaeaster.blogspot.com/

Jane - http://jane-janesjournal.blogspot.com/

Vivian - http://vivs-whimsy.blogspot.com/

Ignacio - http://nicecranedesigns.blogspot.com/

Shelly - http://www.springhillgraphics.blogspot.ca/

Giveaways:   $20 gift certificate  - Nicecrane Designs - http://www.nicecranedesigns.com  

                    1 set of choice -  Moonlighting by Mary - http://www.etsy.com/shop/MoonlightingByMary

                    $10.00 gift certificate - Paper Sweeties - http://www.papersweeties.com/

                    1 set of choice -  Springhill Graphics - https://www.etsy.com/shop/SpringHillGraphics

Thanks for your visit and I believe this is the longest post I have ever attempted.  Eat you heart out Alison!!!!   Comments are always appreciated especially at Christmas!!

Sandy

Visions of Sugar Plums

Hey y'all!  I have been asked to be a Sugarplum Fairy again this year - so much fun and merriment. It's the only time I get to be a real live fairy!!!!!  So go visit Miss Lori and see what it's all about.  Lots of prizes and neat ideas for Christmas.  Y'all come back now ya hear!!
Sandy

It Was A Queer Day

Help me, help me I cried in vain.  QUALM passed over me like the black plague.  I must explain.  The letter for the Alpha Challenge at the Craft Barn is 'Q'.    I went straight a way to my Q pages and gasped.  I had glued all my Q pages together to make other pages more sturdy.  All I had left was a page and a half of Q  and most of them had to do with geometry.  Did I even take geometry and if I did, did I pass the course?!! I had to do something in order to QUALIFY!

Hark, there is a word I know - QUACK.  I love baby ducks don't you?  Now when I thought of QUACK, I remembered my Aunt Gertrude which we affectionately called "The Old QUACK".  Now she thought she was a lady of QUALITY.  A lady of high rank.  All because she had been invited to the Queen's annual garden party.  Following a very old British custom, she wore a hat that the Duchess of York wouldn't even wear.  She thought she had a QUAIL on  her hat but in fact it looked more like a sick seagull.   But I guess you would have called her QUAINT!

Having said all that, I decided to put a QUADRIFOLIATE on my page for good luck.  And then I decided I needed more than one so I used six more - a girl can never be too careful!!!

Enjoy!!

I do hope this makes you smile!  And Anne - I am thinking about you Sugar. 
Thanks for visiting and leaving such smashing comments!!!!!!
Sandy

Hell Hath No Fury!

Hell hath no fury like a two year old having a temper tantrum after being told "NO"!
Or what about the icy glare of a two year old when she says, "No"!

The letter for the Alpha Challenge at The Craft Barn is "N" and my word is "No".

I really appreciate all of you that follow me and my whack-o sense of humor.  I know I am slow in posting but I am Southern and there are lots of reasons for being slow in the South but we won't go into that now.
Thanks again for visiting and leaving me a little love!
Sandy

A Good Read

The Alpha challenge at the Craft Barn is now on the letter "J".  I have chosen two words - Journey and Journal.  They seem to go together don't you think?

So now I take you on a little journey into darkness and the journal pages I have created to honor our guide, the amazing Edgar Allan Poe.

WHAT!?!  You have not read Poe?  How could that be?  I still remember when I read THE TELL- TALE HEART  and  THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM .   But my all time favorite is the poem THE RAVEN first published in 1845.

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
  Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
  While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
  As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door -
  'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, 'tapping at my chamber door -
  Only this , and nothing more.'

Now you will have to read this rest of this amazing poem.

Thanks to everyone who follow my efforts and to all who leave such super comments.
Sandy

It Was A Dark And Stormy Night

I love this time of year - the weather is changing and the leaves are spectacular.  And of course there is Halloween.  Glorious Halloween with all the trick or treating.  Laughing children running around helter-skelter ;  painted faces and treats galore with smiling pumpkins and purple witches.  What's not to love!!!

The Craft Barn has another Alpha Challenge this time using the letter 'G'.  It will come as no surprised that I have chosen the word GOBLIN.

What is this?  A shape shifting, malicious  fairy with a very mischievous gnome?  To be sure!  I hope your Halloween will be as fun filled as mine. 

This is short and sweet.  You know how much I appreciate your support of my blog and my attempts at putting on paper the thoughts in my brain.  BWA-ha-HA-HA-ha-HA-ha-HA-ha-HA!!!

The Color Blue

By the hair on my chinny chin chin, I am getting this in!
This entry is for The Craft Barn's Alpha challenge and the letter is 'Z'.  Now what am I going to do? 
The only person I know that uses Z words is Doctor Seuss!

My word (and it is one of my favorites) is ZAFFER. You are wrong, it is not a rock group!
It is the impure oxide of cobalt, used by enamelers and porcelain manufacturers as a blue color.

These bones, these bones, these old bones --- I am slowly getting better and am going to start going down to my craft room once a day.  I do appreciate all of your e-mails and cards.  Of course I also love it when you visit my blog.  Thank you!
Sandy

Color 101

Okay!  I am all hot to trot.  I have missed the last two Alpha challenges at The Craft Barn.  But I am ready to go here and now! I can't get into  my craft room yet but there are some things I can work with at the dining room table.

The letter is 'O' and I have chosen the word orbicular.  You can find this challenge here 

Do you think that the word orbicular has anything to do with a circle!  I used Faber Castell Gelatos on my dictionary pages.  Izzy at the Craft Barn has a good tutorial about using this fun product.

I want to thank y'all for trying to help me with Bloglovin'.  As it turns out I am still learning about this feed.  To my surprise, the first of  July came and went and my computer did not blow up.  I was equally surprised to learn that a lot of the people I follow did not switch to anything but continued on with the Google feed. Live and learn I guess.

Thanks for visiting and leaving a little love if you have the chance.  And thank you too for all the comments on my granddaughter Nicole's post.  She was thrilled!!
Sandy

When the Cats /away

My thirteen old granddaughter had my craft room all to herself for a little over a week.  At present, she has at least three art journals going and made several canvases.

This is a small sampling of what she was up to in Nanny's craft room.  I mean to tell you, this young lady had a ball!!!!!

Not only will you make this Grandmother very happy, but you will tickle Nicole pink by visiting my blog and leaving a little love.  Thanks a bunch!!
Sandy

The Good News and The Bad News

The Good News ---
 My husband and I took our eleven year old granddaughter, Caroline, out west for a little whirl wind adventure to  Old Faithful  and other interesting points west.   This is one of my favorite pictures and unfortunately it did not come out as well  as I had hoped.

 Caroline had her own digital camera and took loads of pictures.

 This was our last day at Yellowstone and we took about a mile hike around the most beautiful hot springs I have ever seen.  They were absolutely gorgeous.

 The bad news - right before we left, I took a very bad fall but I got up and walked around.  My right leg hurt a little but off we went.  At the end of the mile hike around the hot springs, my leg started hurting something fierce and  I heard a pop. I could not go another step. As a lot of you know, I had a hairline fracture to my right hip.  No wonder it hurt!

I want you to know that my amazing granddaughter never complained one bit.  You see we had a lot more trip to go.  She had hoped to see some wolves and we were going to Mount Rushmore.  But no, we had to make our way home.  So while I lolly gagged in the motel room during our stay in Jackson Hole,  Art and Caroline went out and found fun!
 
 Oh my, did she love this hat and never (and I mean never) took it off.  She is the happiest kid and so funny.  I loved  laughing and traveling with her.  What a good sport!

.Instead of skiing down these slopes (you know this is where all the rich and famous people ski) Caroline went on an Alpine ride.  I know you can't see her but heck, I can't either!

So  that's the good and the bad of it.  Actually it is more good than bad.  I look forward to getting back to my craft room and having at it!

A big thanks to all my followers and to those of you who leave a comment.  I am not shy -I love it!!!!!
Sandy

Oh Mama!

We have a new letter at the Craft Barn Alpha Challenge.
The letter is 'B' and I have chosen the word bear.  Now bear with me while I tell you this story and I will try just to write the bear facts.

This is no ordinary picture of a black bear.  My husband took this picture from one of our bedroom windows.  She was probably 10 feet away and weighed around 400 pounds.  No, I did not get close enough to sex this bear myself.  So how did I know it was a female?  Because she brought two cubs with her.  The amazing thing was that this family stayed with us most of the summer.  We would chase her away and she would come right back and many nights slept under the bedroom window.   The lesson I learned this particular summer?  Do not feed the deer - they bring their friends!

This was our last up close and personal encounter with a bear.  A young one,  old enough to leave its mom and young enough to be a real nuisance .   This picture was taken from my craft room window . She was as startled to see me as I was to see her and no, she is not pole dancing.  She just tried to climb my bird feeder pole and oops over it went!

So that's my story and now you know when you visit me,  just don't be surprised if you come face to face with a bear.  And whatever you do - don't feed them!!

Thanks for your visit and all your nice comments.
Sandy

News from my wee farm

I kept my daughter's four children the first week school was out.  What happy kids they are and full of themselves too (if you know what I mean)!  Nicole is holding Flop and Flip is trying to see who that is behind him. Yep, it is Joe alright!  Sarah is next to Nicole - she is the youngest and YES she is in her nightgown.  Caroline is trying to hold on to Flip who wants to play with Joe.

That was a happy week and everyone was healthy.  Then this weekend Floppy got sick - the vet has been out  three times and will come out again this afternoon.  We think Flop will be okay now.  She has had 3 doses of interstitial fluids - antibiotics - something for discomfort - charcoal - steroids and last but not least her pro-biotics for bloat.     The vet also intubated her three times to expel gas and see if  she had more to vomit.   I really did not think she was going to make it.  Goats go down very quickly.  We don't know what her problem is other than she likes to eat.  Flip would not leave her side. She is much, much better!!

That's it for today - thanks for joining me on my new adventure!!!
Sandy

Holy Cow!

Hey Y'all!  We have a new letter at The Craft Barn
The letter is 'U' and all I can say is my entry is an "udder" disaster.  Can you guess what my word is?

That is a baby goat nursing from that Holy Cow!  I will not show my goats this picture  cause the next thing I know they will want their own cow!!!!

It seemed like such a good idea at the time, but as they say, one cannot cry over spilt milk!!

You know I appreciate you visit and kind (and remember I said kind) comments!!!!
Sandy