a couple new cards....

Here are a few of the cards I've been working on lately.  I have several birthday cards to do this month again, and of course Father's Day.  And just a few "staying in touch" type cards also.  I'm still waiting on my blog candy wins from last month's Crafter's Companion giveaways, and I can hardly wait!

Hubby has his retirement party tomorrow night, and we're excited for that.  Because it's a weeknight a lot of family and friends can't come, and a few have sent regrets because of their vacation plans, but I hope it gets a nice turnout anyway.

Problems with Blogger!!!!

I read that a lot of people besides myself are having TON OF PROBLEMS with Blogger.

Please, if you have offered candy, and expect the winner to contact you, please consider notifying them yourself.
I am totally unable to get to the blogs I usually follow (there are WAYYY tooo many for me to remember every single one) and therefore I have no way to respond if I was chosen a winner.

How did this get started anyway to make the person come back or miss out. Why not at least make ONE attempt to notify the winner. I can understand not letting it just go on and on without a response, but come on.... sometimes things are out of our control.
So if you are giving away blog candy of any sort, PLEASE make at least one attempt to locate the winner (by email) and let them know! One attempt other than just putting it on your blog for a few hours.
Some already do this (thanks a lot!!!) but most just want to see their counts go up and get visitors coming back. I personally always come back to blogs - (I have only ever discontinued with 2 or 3 blogs that changed their content significantly).

 And BLOGGER - please quit messing around with the basics!!

Beccy's Place challenge again

Here's my card for the current challenge at Beccy's Place . I love her images.

May is the Month at Crafters Companion!

Have you been entering the drawings at Crafter's Companion blogs? You should be! I've been a winner, and can't wait to get my package!

There is still some time, until the end of the month, to get in on the action.  Go check it out! And enter - often and at all the DT for prizes that are certainly worth it!!

Blog candy Scrappin' It

More blog candy can be found at Scrappinit , and I wanna Win it!
She's asked us to comment about our blessings.  My blessing is my family - all of it:  the good, the bad and the ugly! It has not always been perfect, but I have learned to deal with it.  My favorite is my fairly new granddaughter - she brings us joy!  My newly retired husband and I both are thrilled we get to see her often. We make each other laugh a lot!

Sweet Pea candy May 24

More candy from Sweet Pea at will be given away on May 24 @ Milo Lilja's. Check it out!

A few pictures from our recent trip with Dahlia to meet  up with relatives in St. Louis. It's her first visit and chance to meet cousin Layla!

My son Steve with Dahlia and Layla.  They LOVED to scream together.  I think they had a ball!

April Beccy's Place Challenge

Here's the card I made for the April Challenge at Beccy's Place .  She requested we use Chocolate colored papers, trim and embelishments. and I could not resist using these Chocolate covered Strawberries! Yummy!

Market Street Stamp Block Party

Here's a card I made today for the Market Street Stamps Block Party!  Cute little dress image - which was free!

This is the time of year my Mom always started hanging things on the line outside again, so I just went with the flow!

Scrapinit Discoveries

There is a another weekly contest over at  http://scrapinit.blogspot.com and Einat wants people to write a post about something they "discover" in the second half of life, and my comment is that I think everyone wishes they had the knowledge they've obtained lasting that long, but wish they were teenagers again!  I do! I've discovered that if I could do it again, Oh the things I'd change.  By the ton!  And probably not what most people would think.  I think I did the major things right, but my life could have used some tweeking!  Do you agree?  If so, join in!

Hubby has retired!

I have a non-crafty blog today.  My husband has retired from his job at the newspaper after 38 years!  He was offered a buy-out and it was too good to pass up. That industry is failing more and more every day and although he's not quite old enough for Social Security, it was time.  The stress in the past few years were starting to affect him a little, and even though he absolutely loved his job  -  He's really happy now!

So, we'll see how things go.  He's already trying to get me out of my craft room.  And sometimes that could be a good thing, but not always!  And he is already planning to get me to de-clutter the whole house, and especially my craft room - Mercy Me!  I'm resisting like crazy.  But then again, I could use the help!

Hang in there with us, and I'll be sure to let you know as things progress (or regress, I'm not sure which).

new punch I won

Here's a card I made today, using a new punch I just won.  It's fab.  I love it already. And so useful!  I won several others things, but you'll just have to wait and see for those!  This is a card for my little Dahlia's mama who has a birthday coming up real soon, and she loves elephants - so how fitting!

Here's a new card I made for a friend of my older brother - who sometimes has been like a brother to me. I think he'll like the humor - about me always being younger!  I really love this image by Mo - I've used it for so many different things!

Scrappy Chick has some goodies

The Scrappy Chick has some goodies up for grabs for some of her followers, and I'm one who hopes to win!  Some paper, stencils, gift certificate and some stamps - Goodies! for 4 winners.  Worth to trip to her blog to find out how to enter.

Here's my card for the new Challenge over at Digi Darla's.  This one is called, "Festive Flowers" and I found a cute little image for that.  My girlfriend Laura has several gardens, and although a lot of it is produce, she does have flowers too!  And my flower beds have all just been redone (by someone else I may add!) and ready for new plants.  I can hardly wait to get it set up with new stuff.

My sweet Dahlia

This picture was from a few weeks ago. She loves to rough-house around. My son Steven does that with her a lot I think! Here's she's trying to get my toes!

Sweet Dahlia Anne, she's getting so big. She's just 14 months old last week.

Hubby and I are surely enjoying all our visits with her. I've been taking a few videos, so that's one reason there haven't been many pictures of her recently.

Bursting with Buttons

Today's challenge card is using a Digi Darla's image that is so cute! And I hope a clever idea using buttons!

The image is called Dress Shop.

The challenge runs through April 7th so there is plenty of time to join in. Just remember to use a Digi Darla image and buttons!

kristin has a giveaway

Here's what she says:

I am giving away one $100.00 Gift Certificate to Scrapbook.com Superstore to one lucky winner!! Have something on your wish list that you are dieing to purchase? Want any of the new CHA items? Look no further!! You could be the winner of my HUGE $100.00 Give~A~Way!!

In order to be entered into the $100.00 Scrapbook.com Superstore Gift Certificate here is what you need to do!

1.) Become a follower of this blog Kristin Wilson Handmade!

2.) Post about my $100.00 Give~A~Way on your blog.

3.) Leave a comment on this post with a link to your blog post about my $100.00 Give~A~Way.

So, sounds good to me and I love the box she just made - go check it out!!

Artist point of view of "using" their art

Please click the title above and go read this!!

It's the best explanation of how to use images properly and the reasons why! No rant, just clearly written how things work.

Now for my 2 Cents Worth: She explains this so well, I hope more people understand this now. Some artists get rather testy and nasty about it (even if it's for a good reason - no one pays attention then). Then one just remembers the "rants" I think and not the point. This is the best description I've ever read that explains the artist point of view!

Cupcake card

Here's a card I made with the new cupcake image from Birdie Brown. This was on sale, and I just had to get it!!

I love cupcakes, and they are so cute to use for anyone's birthday card. Who doesn't love 'em?!