Get Your Bake On!!

Today is the 20th of December and I'm so out of sorts when it comes to my baking.. I haven't made pumpkin rolls, or cookies, or breads or any homemade anything. I'm so bummed . These things  are  my gifts for my neighbors and friends.-ugh. I'm usually done by now , and the house is done too and ready for Christmas. How did I get so behind. This is not like me!!!

Please someone send a "Whiff Kick" my way- please. I did get the trees decorated and I even have my first gift under it...Wait that's the dog!!!

This year I did a Holiday Craft Show and made alot of Christmas cards and holders. But I've yet to get my own cards sent. Shame on me. One of favorite times of the year and I'm blowing it.

I will be attending "Christmas Tea" on Tuesday so maybe that will give me a nudge to get going.

Well anyway I do have one thing I made. I would like to share the recipe with you all.  They are "Chocolate Cookie Balls" and they taste like a "Ho-Ho" if your familiar with the cake thingy. They are very messy to make but fun to eat-only a few they are very rich!!



Ok, I'm done here I'm moving over to my craft blog. Check me out and what I'm doing over there. www.kardkreationsbyjoyce.blogspot.com
Thanks for stopping by and to all my friends "Happy Holidays" . And don't forget the "Full Solar Eclipse Tonight. The last time this was here was in "Galileo's time". So be a stargazer I think the full Eclipse is 3:17am tonite EST. I'll be there from the beginning. Don't forget your Camera. I don't take good night pictures but I'm gonna try anyway... Bye for now, Joyce



New Craft Blog for me

Yesterday I decided to create a new Blog for my Craft stuff. And keep my garden and other stuff here on this blog. If you like crafts and Cards and knitting and other stuff well visit my new Blog at:

www.kardkreationsbyjoyce.blogspot.com

On this blog I'll upload my cards with directions.
Thanks for taking a peek and do come back often.  Thanks for visiting..

Ou, today we got a dusting of the white stuff early this morning, how pretty. The cold front is moving in.

HAD TO LAUGH AT MYSELF ALREADY!!

I was in a little bit of a hurry this morning. And well, this is what happens!! After I did this I started laughing because the coffee grounds landed right on the Coffee Rug...I love my coffee strong but not just the grounds.

So I'm off to help out a friend in need and just had to post this silly thing cause I thought it was pretty funny.  And yes my family thinks I'm crazy also :)

Coffee Grounds on the Coffee Rug, get it. It might be funny but you know who had to clean-up the mess .  Forgive me it's been a long week!!!!!!

Love to all and stay warm with a "BIG CUP OR TWO  OR THREE OF THE BROWN STUFF IF YOU NEED THAT EXTRA KICK!!! 

JOYCE

My Christmas Elf Cards and more.....

Wow, it's been forever since I've Blogged!! Lots going on. Well I know this isn't garden related but come Winter the garden is sleeping and this is the best  time for me to do other projects I enjoy.
This past weekend my friend and I did our first bazaar and well lets just say I made back the cost of the table (Big Smile). We were at a Local Elem. School and a High School. Everybody loved our Cards, Buttttt, well the  market just wasn't there. Oh well, now I have Christmas/Holiday Cards to last a couple of years :)


I'm posting a few  other Christmas Cards I designed. I've made 20 elf cards, 2 different designs. I love these guys.

My next is a more traditional type. Along with some Gift Card Holders made with DSPpaper.
I love the new folders that Stampin' Up offers in their catalogs. I don't have a Big Sizzix, I have the Cuttlebug and these folders work great with that also.

I glued down the DSP ornaments on Kraft paper after punched and ran them Thur the cuttelbug with the "Square Lattice" folder. This makes a beautiful effect. Used Cherry Cobbler Seam binding and paper. Made quite a few of these also-ugh. Alot of work but pretty in person.

And here are a few more cards I've been working on. I love the pearls on the many thanks cards, they go from big to little. Used some new colors. Well, hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed making them. I love to make Cards for my friends and Family. And they make great gifts!!!

Well have a Marvelous Day and "KEEP WARM"..........Joyce

A Beautiful Poinsettia Punch Card....

The other day while browsing the Stamping Blogs I came across this beautiful card along with an AWESOME stamping blog!!! Her name is "Dawn" and I cased a card she had posted on her Blog that she received from someone,,,, it's the Poinsettia card you can find her blog here:


http://dostamping.typepad.com/dostamping_with_dawn/
Dawn is a Stampin' Up Demonstrator with ideas out of this world. So if you need a SU Demonstrator their you go, she's awesome... Please visit and see for yourself and get stamping!! OK here are the things you will need to make this card.

Cardstock color of your choice, I used Real Red and Very Vanilla along with a retired SU paper color I think it was Glorious Green,  I have lots of scraps of. This card is great cause you can use lots of your scrap paper you have!  :)

So here are the supplies you will need: Mine are all from Stampin' UP

-Stampset: Hostess set- Peaceful Season
-Punches:  Bird Punch you will need( 7) green punched birds &( 7 )red punched birds- First adhere the green direct to paper the pop-up the red tails. Note the birds on the card are placed green tails going one way and  the Red Bird  tails on top going the other way, and use dimensionals under the Red Bird Tails and leaves  to pop. And you need (5) red wings only for center-which I sponged with Cherry Cobbler ink and sponge. And (3) yellow for center of flower add with glue.
My VeryVanilla Cardstock panel measures 4 1/8  X 5 6/8 just showing a little Red around corners. I added the gold ribbon on the side to pop.

Hope this helps you making your card. These are too pretty not to make one for yourself. Takes a little time to get all your birds straight they way you want them. But I have OCD so nothing ever looks straight!!!!! smile OK, I'm not a demonstrator so the directions could be a little shotty. But you get it once you start looking at the card and playing around with it.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Nov. 1st already, wow. Today I'm giving blood down at the local church blood drive. GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE TODAY AND WHEN YOU CAN!!!! IT DOESN'T HURT AT ALL IT ONLY GIVES BACK 10-FOLD.

Have an Awesome Day. I know I've put my Gardens on hold until next spring, So you will be seeing fall and winter crafts. Joyce

Peace on Earth Card-Idea 1

It's that time of year  for me to get my Christmas Card Ideas together.  I've been playing around with some new Stampin' Up sets and this is one of the cards I've come up with.  My First card I make is always my Sample card to use as a guide for measuring and keep in a file If I like it. And it's funny how we stampers all go thru the process of taping down and then taking stuff back off until I think I'm done with it. I know less is more and I have a problem stopping. Please tell me what you think?.............Don't be bashful, I love comments it helps create. So here is a little description of what I did....

First I punched out the hole for the sentiment with the large curly punch but you don't have to. I might change it up. Then I punched 4 Christmas Balls from Tags for Christmas  scored in middle and used a Quickie Glue Pen and Glittered each one, then used my Tom bow tape and attached them together to make it 3-D and attached it to the Very Vanilla Panel. And stamped the holly leaves from Bells and Boughs with Stazon Ink Black and colored in with markers.

I popped the Always Artichoke and Very Vanilla panel at the bottom and punched out a separate piece from the curly punch and adhered a very vanilla oval for the sentiment.
I used my white gen pen for the inside of the poinsettia flowers.  You know while typing I might go back and stamp another one and pop that up to give the holly dimension, huh.....a thought.

I have alot of Always Artichoke and I wanted to use some up so this is what I did. Hope you like. Back to the drawing board for me.


Cardstock: Always Artichoke, Chery Cobbler,Very Vanilla

Stamp Sets: Tags for Christmas, Bells & Boughs,  Sentiment (Ret. set Peace on Earth

Accessories: Scallop Time Punch, Poinsettia Folder,  Large Curly Punch, Oval Punch,  Gold Ribbon, Gold Glitter on Ball, White Gel Pen, and Gold Stickles, and Dimensionals to pop-up bottom panel.

Thanks for stopping by and Oh Yeah, HAPPY HALLOWEEN .....JOYCE

I'm in Love with "Fall" Color and Seaglass Hunting

Don't you just love this time of year!!!!!.  You get just as much color this time of year as you do in spring. Just a different Color Palette. So much has been going on here. I've been rather busy with making cards, Halloween decorations, Baking, Sea glass hunting,  Organizing my Craft room/office/ dog lounge :)  But I haven't stopped noticing the beautiful color all around me in my own Garden. Yes, the pretty flowers from spring and summer are a beautiful memory in my mind's eye, but the color I'm seeing right  now just blows me away. The temperatures have been up and down but nothing to cold yet!!

And don't forget my other favorite thing: HALLOWEEN. Here is a Flag I've had forever:

This was a Beautiful Weekend and of Course I went "Sea glassing" with my favorite 2 people. The tides were way out on the beaches we went to so we were able to do alot of searching. I came away with some awesome finds and beautifully frosted pieces to add to my collection.......Here are a few:

I pick-up everything of interest to me while beaching. I found a beautiful fish lure and a (red) reflector. I yelled "I got Red" and everybody looked up. They should know me by now that I'm a jokester!!! Hey, it's red!! Nice pottery and beautiful Aquas and whites and greens, some are so dark and thick. Just like I like'em. Woo-Who what a nice haul for a great day at the beaches. Oh yeah, can't forget my rocks and shells and brick pieces. Why I don't know I just like them!!

And I found this really neat pottery/ceramic thingy. My husband thinks it's a thing to make fishing nets/knots something like a "Marlin Spike" it has "Germany" printed on the back? Any clues? Write down a comment and let me know.

Ok, that's enough excitement for one day. But I'll be back to show you some really cool Cards the girls and I have been working on. I just can't fit everything in right now. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.......Joyce

"Heirloom Country Gardens", A Book Recommendation.

I went to my local Library a few weeks ago to pick-up some fresh reading material. I've  been buying to many books lately at my local Big Food Store that has everything. And I thought to myself why buy when I can go right down to my  local library( about 2 miles away)  to see what kind of new materials or old was waiting there for me.   While there I picked up a book that caught my eye and  looked like it had potential. I went on Amazon.com and put in  the title  and low and behold there it was!!!! And it was only $3.00!!!! (New)  from a recycle book store. It cost 27.95 new, so I HAD to purchase it for my garden book collection. OK, Here it is: "Heirloom Country Gardens" by Sarah Wolfgang Heffner -ISBN0-87596-818-X  . A Rodale Organic Gardening Book. Here is the cover and Contents page for you to take a glance at. If you can go to your local Library go check it out or put in a request to get a copy. A nice quick read of information.....and to look at.

Soooo, you can never have enough Garden books big or small, fat or skinny, Perennial, Annual, Cacti, Houseplants, Landscaping, bulbs, Photography, well you get the  picture. And I adore Big Tabletop books to display in my house. What fun picking up a beautiful Hardcover with awesome Garden Photography inside from all over the world. The reason I love these books ,  I  lose myself  inside and  can see me walking thru and enjoying these gardens with my own camera and a bottle of water for the journey. The information is the added bonus. Yes, I'm a Art and Garden  Book-a-holic!

OK, maybe I need a  program for  books but who doesn't love a great book!!!! .  I can't get enough, I swear I drool when I see a huge beautiful garden book. Ok, what's your obsession? Well, I'm off to a Stampin' Up Card open house today with a friend and I'm going to have to great time making cards. So have a blessed fall day . Joyce

When is a "Toad" not a "Toad" -When it's a "Toadlily".

When it's "Tricyrtis Hirta"-'Sinonome', Toad lily..I love this time of year and can't wait to see my Toad lily in action. ( Don't pay attention to un-kept growth behind it, I need to trim.) The leaves got a little crispy before this week due to drought cond. but then we got 10" of rain and brought my Toad lily to life. 

 This was a gift from a friends garden some 12 yrs ago. And the flowers I just love. They remind me of an Orchids flowers and fell kinda waxy. This one is white with purple blotches. And it always has 50 million flowers on it. I have only giving pieces away twice. I don't want to lose it. It's just beautiful. I would like to move it to another location because it's getting a little out of hand where it is. If you are someone who can shed some light on how and when to move this plant or even divide please leave me a message. Someone saw a photo of this on a garden site and told me mine had a virus but that isn't so. It's gorgeous! Hope you enjoy my photos of my never-ending bloomer.

And speaking of Toads. These are my Favorites. But I think they're Frogs. Don't they look all innocent looking, like they just ate something they weren't suppose to. These guys are inside porch dwellers.  I don't what them to get messed up. Haven't seen these guys anywhere else.  What do you think? Too cute.

Oh, one more thing. I think my special plant is going to bloom a stinky flower. I forgot the name of my succulent. If you can help let me know the name, I forgot. It's only one year old. One of my favorite inside plants......

I hoped you enjoyed reading about some of my favorite things today. Thanks for stopping by and have a marvelous FALL Day.....Tomorrow I have more projects I'm working on I want to show you so check back soon..Joyce

Could-duh, Would-duh, Should-duh, in the Garden

Another Spring and Summer gone and as I look out into my gardens I get that feeling that yet again I've missed doing things I said I would in the garden!!! Procrastination what a nasty word, it gets me all the time and I can get trapped in this world longer then I should for sure...

Here it is "FALL" and my gardens aren't showing as much color as I need. This year it's hard to believe how many berries are on the dogwoods, Pink and White ones, just  loaded.  My father always said that this was a sign for a cold winter (I hope this isn't true). I don't want another like the last one!! So here's a pretty butterfly to look at instead of thinking about "Winter".

Another year of poor planning. "I said I would have color each season"  and I'm not holding up my end of the bargain. And then everytime around this time of year  I get the same thoughts. Could-da, Should-da, Would-da. This season I did do some  hard-scaping and painting  and trying to tidy stuff up a bit. Plus making new beds, and sometimes forgetting the old.  Yes, I have pretty grasses to look at and Sedums and Cosmos and impatients. But I didn't plant any fall bulbs, nor did I plant any asters, or late blooming lilies like I said I would. I can't believe I got sidetracked with other things-ugh. So nows the time to plan for next season. Yes, theres always next Season, a little late and not promised yet but thinking about it gives me comfort to go on..

I want to plant some bones (not real ones) in my garden before frost. I need more of these (shrubs, small trees and premanent fixtures). I really should have planned the bones first. But I'm a Perennial Flower addict and Hosta addict, but these things die back this time of year and I'm left with bare pickings here and there. So even tho this happened again here are a few flowers still blooming......

And this one here I didn't plant in this pot. It's a gift I will dig out and put in the garden. It's kinda funny how this is the best looking flower in the garden.

Have a great Day!!!!! And look forward to visiting other blogs today that I've missed. See ya real soon, Joyce

Side- Step Cards and New Bulbs

Today I thought I would take a break and stay inside and make some cards. The first card is what you call a side-step card. I needed a baby invitation so I thought I would give this one a go. I love the little dresser and babies. What do you think? I think it's a go!!

My next card I just starting playing around and came up with this cute little Halloween house and graveyard scene. These are made with various punches. It was fun to do. And when you fold these two cards flat the baby folds up and the tombstones fold up also. Kinda cute.
Then we're  getting ready for Card Club Friday on the 15th so I came up with this card to make. Something simple. It's made with a new set called: Bells & Boughs out of the mini. Catalog. Here is a Christmas card. Made with all Stampin' Up products. This picture looks awful, it really pretty. With glitter and beads and brads.  The colors are Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, and Very Vanilla. It looks white, it's not...

And if I've held your attention this long. The Garden is a little crispy. The Cosmos and Joe Pye Weed are still blooming. Thursday we got 10" of rain!!!!! So today when we went out. I bought myself some bulbs, two bags of Red Tulips, and 1 large bag of assorted Alliums. I'm addicted to these bulbs. Can't wait to dry out a little so I can plant.  I can't believe September is GONE, where did it go?
Anyway time to look forward to fall and all it's glory.
Have a great evening and see ya' real soon......Joyce

Vacation pics. from MB and Georgetown, Shell Island, South Carolina

On my first day at the beach I was followed by a bunch of sandpipers and seagulls. They are so cute and fast running on the beach, darting here and there to avoid the crashing waves coming in. I call this shot. Me and my Shadow. Jerry and I come to Myrtle Beach every summer for the Golf and I do all the historic tours and suck up all the local cuisine and beautiful places off the beaten path to find. This is a Mecca of beaches and Southern History waiting to be found. And there's Pawley's Island and Shopping, just beautiful.

 So this year I took a Low country Plantation tour to 'Shell Island'-this Island is where Lafette landed when he got lost. The locals or Cap'n Rod calls it Lafette Island . I love collecting shells and driftwood. This is a Barrier Island excess able by boat only. The Georgetown Lighthouse is there and most gorgeous. The lighthouse keeper would have to stay in the little house and not leave the island for 5 straight years. A boat with supplies would come over to him once a month. Wow...Here is the Beautiful Lighthouse and the little house that was rebuilt due to a Storm, I think it was Hurricane Hazel that wiped it out. The lighthouse is automated today.

On the beach it is covered with Driftwood, Large and Small. Of course I had to pick up a small one. But first this was our tour boat Captain.....Capt. Rod. He was a hoot, he explained everything and showed us all kinds of stuff and local history out on the water. I saw alot of Shrimp Boats and he said the boats with all the birds around it mean it was a great catch that day. And there are so many EAGLES there. I couldn't keep up with my camera there was so much too see!!!This isn't a great photo the rail got in the way. But you know what it is. He was beautiful way up there on his perch. You can't see but he has a fish in his mouth...

The day was awesome. We landed about 45 min. later on the Island and disbursed onto the beach for shell collecting. We got there in the afternoon so the first trip over had better luck with the shells. Note to self. Next time take early boat. Well I left everything on the boat and walked around like a dummy with no shoes!!! Also I was soaked from head to toe. You would have thought I'd been in a wet t-shirt contest :) But I did found some nice shells a couple of old conchs and pieces of others. With treasure in hand I headed back to the boat and wouldn't you know it I STEPPED ON A PIECE OF DRIFTWOOD AND CUT MY FOOT!!!!! The bottom of my left foot, good thing I came prepared. Dang-it that hurt like HELL. But you know I didn't care and it didn't spoil my trip...Here are my finds. I will go back again. Great fun.

The day ended and I met up with my husband for a great dinner out. I was exhausted and happy from a wonderful adventure. And knowing that the next day I had another adventure waiting for me to do!!!

Thanks for reading my blog today and if you lasted this long I must have caught your attention a little. Have a marvelous day and I'll bring more Vacation shots tomorrow. My Gardens are a little Crispy, my fault, but no rain for weeks. Today we are having rain, Thank You God. I am my Gardens keeper and I'm not doing to good a job right now. Fall is coming and more projects to blog about.......Peace Out.Joyce

THANK YOU TODAY AND ALWAYS

What a beautiful Morning here in my little corner of the world. Here is my Firefighter Memorial garden area that my husband and I put in after Sept. 11.My daughter painted his badge number on his helmet.  Today the Sedums are almost as tall as this 4ft Statue. I love looking at this front garden. Sometimes it gets a little wild but it stills make me feel good when I see my firemen out there

. 

 So I would like to THANK those people who have made all this possible to write about. I can't imagine not seeing the beautiful sky every morning. My husband is a Firefighter and I know every time he went out on a call to do his job I prayed so hard that he would return back to the station safe.  What a hard job!  And they are all just like Brothers in ONE family no matter what station or state they live in.

 I remember seeing him back with Icicles on his mustache in the winter after returning from a call. And him sweating to death from also heat exhaustion in the summer. And I can't imagine all that heavy equipment they wear for there safety. So my heart goes out to the families of the Firemen that have put there  lives on the line so others can be safe. And I know my husband wouldn't have had it any other way. He loves being a Brother.

And Also the Policemen families. What a job!!!! Thank you

And also I would like to Thank the "Veteran's" and the Military Men and Women who have left their families at home and are fighting right now to make sure that I see that sky everyday. So don't forget to thank these people everyday you can.

 A BIG FAT THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU -WHOEVER AND WHEREVER YOU ARE. THANK YOU FOR PROTECTING ME AND MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS...............................

The Vultures are starting to Circle the Garden!!!

Yesterday Morning before heading out for a bit I noticed a bunch of Vultures circling around the Garden areas. Does this mean my garden has died and the stench is bringing in the local riff-raft?  Are they here to pick up the pieces of my broken down flowers?.  Is this a sign to pack it in for the season? Oh Woe is me. I've never had the Vultures tell me before that my gardens really stink!!!  But apparently it's in the air! But the more I think about it the Gardens have had a rough go of it this Summer. For me this has been a bad last couple of months.
I've watered when there wasn't any, I've amended, I've mulched, I've composted, I've weeded and I've poured my blood (roses pricking) sweat (laboring all those new ideas) tears (when I couldn't get it right).

 And yeah, speaking of mulch I've got these little mushroom fungus looking things in my mulch that I'm not really crazy about. I got my mulch from a different source this year, I'm not really crazy about the outcome of how it looks. I guess  I'll have to loosen the grip I guess.

But you know each time I walk outside in the Garden I still get a sense of worth. I know my Garden won't let me down. And I know each year it's teaches me something about what I need to do to make it better next season!!! I'm blessed to have a garden. Alot of people aren't able to have one much less get out and enjoy their bounty. Sure, I complain, and -itch, but all in all I'm so glad to be a Gardener. I love that the Garden   teaches me to be quiet, and slow down, and enjoy the beautiful colors and shapes and surprises that I get each year. My favorite garden months are January thru December.

And all is not lost I still have my annuals to keep me going thru the frost. I'm waiting for the sedums to bloom and the grasses are almost ready to show their plumage. So I'll sign off for right now with this thought!!!

Life is Good, Gardening is GREAT now it's time to take that Break!

Have a great day. Joyce

Pileated Woodpecker Sighting, Garden stuff and No Internet for 3 Days!!

Wow, it's been awhile since I've been back online!! No stinking Internet for 3 lovely days-not. I've missed all the Garden Gossip. But I've seen alot of stuff here around the gardens. And sometimes it's nice not to sit inside clicking away at the keys.  You've seen my neighbors dead,dead, dead tree that all the big birds love. Today while outside expecting the last of the pretty flowers. This big bird threw overhead and headed straight for the Big Tree. Not until I got inside and looked at my Photos did I notice that it was a "Pileated Woodpecker". They are few and far between here. But they do come. He was huge and that red head is so funny looking. It's not a great picture. But they don't stay around long and my camera wasn't doing what I wanted it too!! It's me not the camera. But I just thought you'll would love to see him. I love surprises like this in my garden...

So I missed the Bloggers Bloom Day on the 15th and some other stuff. The other day while coming out of the garage I noticed this BIG moth sitting in the Azaleas next to a piece of bark. Don't know who he is but he was sure awesome looking. Had to run and fetch my camera for him. I will research later  He kinda reminds me of a Jet Plane.

So like I said I missed posting bloom day but right now there's not much blooming in the garden. Just the old stand-bys--Coneflowers, Tall Phlox, Black eyed Susan and Brown eyed, Red Shift Coreopsis, Butterfly Bush (White and Purple) and the Beautiful  "Royal Standard Hosta" with there big white blooms. I love white and this is a great performer for your Big Everyday Hosta. Shiny leaves and lots of white flowers. Great Performer if you like green and white flowers.

The other thing that;s happening is -I bought some "Foxglove Plants about 2 months ago and the foliage has gotten pretty big, well one is giving me a flower!! It's Cream. Will it die and not come back, this is my first. I know they are Bi-ennials. If someone could let me know!!!!

The sky has been beautiful this week also. Here are the morning pics. from Friday. We have been having some really bad storms here but when I see these clouds it makes me so happy and they kinda remind me of fall.  I love these kinds of clouds. Do you see the Buffalo in the right hand corner :) Well, it's looks kinda like one. I love seeing shapes in the sky. The sky was super blue and the morning was a cool crisp morning. I had other stuff happening but lost track of it. So for now I'm signing off and wishing you'll a beautiful safe garden day. Peace Out. Joyce