Sheesh!

     I thought I had posted since January, 2010, but guess not!  Know I have a couple of drafts of postings, but they obviously didn't get published. 
     What a year it has been, tho.  I haven't done much stamping - left Stampin' Up about the first of the year because they got fussy about posting cards with non-SU stamps and said we couldn't give other stamp companies credit when the cards were posted.  Put the shoe on the other foot and SU would scream like a banshee.  So, have been mainly holding jewelry workshops, teaching ladies about OPALS embossing enamel. 
     I do have a group of ladies who were meeting on a regular basis, but having surgery the end of July kind of put a hold on that.  They are a good bunch of ladies and we need to get going again.  Between the surgery and getting involved in politics, thanks to hubby, I haven't had a moment's peace, it seems like!
     Went to Washington, D.C., for the taxpayers' march on 9/12 - something I would never have imagined doing even five years ago.  The founder of our Tea Party/9.12 group and I flew back a day early and got to do some sightseeing.  Liz had been there the year before and was also there for Glenn Beck's 8-28 event, so she has kind of learned her way around - which I was sure thankful for!  Especially catching the subway!  We actually stayed in Bethesda but were only seven blocks from the subway, so it was an easy trip downtown.  There won't be a taxpayers' march this because it's the tenth anniversary of 9/11, but they are planning something later in the year.
     Along with the trip to Washington, Liz and I, along with three members of our group, went to Phoenix the end of February for the first ever Tea Party Patriots Policy Summit.   Liz has been asked to be one of two interim State Coordinators for Colorado and I will be backing her up.  In the meantime, we have worked on campaigns and continue to do what we can to restore some fiscal responsibility and sanity to our federal government.
     I have been doing a few cards, mainly on an "as-needed" basis, i.e., whenever someone has a birthday or there has been a death of someone I've known well.  Unfortunately, more of them have been sympathy cards that anything else, it seems.  I still have a lot of Stampin' Up paper and use their inks most of the time.  Will post a few with descriptions.

Lily is from Flourishes, used Cuttlebug Swiss dot folder and Spellbinder's fleur de lis border die.

Done in copper, rather than gold, but otherwise CASE'd from Gina K's recent Easter card.  Stamps are all Stampin' Up.

This is white-on-white embossing, using a technique shown on Splitcoast Stampers a couple of weeks ago.  Used a Cuttlebug embossing folder and Spellbinder dies.  The word stamp is from Stampin' Up.

Done with the texture duet technique from Technique Junkies.  Don't remember who makes the cross and the word stamp comes from Stampin' Up.

Done with the Cuttlebug Swiss polka dot folder, stamps are all Stampin' Up.







     I have gotten to do a few "fun" cards, too, for birthdays and such:

 This was for our step-granddaughter's 9th birthday, which she just celebrated.  A very special little girl.   The technique is one I learned from the Stamp 411 blog and is called Inlaid Embossing.

 Birthday card for my aunt who celebrated her 94th birthday this past September.  Other than using SU papers and ink, I couldn't tell you what stamp set I used!  Slept since then.

 Hubby's valentine - need I say more?

My friend, Liz, is half Irish and I hadn't had an opportunity to use this stamp, even though I've had it for a number of years.  This is the "Out of Box" technique found in the Technique Junkie newsletter.  The leprechaun, from Art Impressions, is done with "penciled twinks", another TJ technique.

I'm hoping my Just One partner for March isn't reading this, or she will catch a glimpse of her card before she receives it!  The technique is called "Texture Plate Smooch".  I used a Fiskars texture plate called Irish Lace to make the background.  Stampin' Up paper, inks and stamp used otherwise.  Ribbon is from Michael's and is glittery, which you can't see from the picture.

     Will try to do a better job of posting, but with Vacation Liberty School coming up in a couple of weeks and needing to get a Colonial style dress made, plus numerous other things, no promises.  Will explain more about the Vacation Liberty School in a later post.