- You must go to each blog along the way and enter a comment with whatever stipulation the blog hop hostess requests.
- There will be extra prizes along the way along with extra challenges, so be sure to read each blog carefully.
- Each blog hostess will have a link in her blog posting, pointing you to the next blog you need to "hop" to.
- The Blog Hop will end and all participants MUST be complete before midnight May 31st in order to qualify for the prizes.
- Most importantly HAVE FUN!
My husband and I (for those of you unfamiliar with me) are horse trainers by trade...quarter horse, show horse trainers to be exact (western pleasure our specialty for those of you "in the know"). So the majority of our summer is spent at, you guessed it, HORSE SHOWS! We train not only the horses, but their owners too and we show as well (usually our clients horses). So my first card today is a reflection on what we do for a living...HORSES!
This adorable horse stamp is by Penny Black called heart to heart and I cut it out with my Labels 1 Nestabilities, I then put it on black paper and hand cut around it to make a thinner mat than I would with the next mat size from my Nestabilities. I layered it on this adorable dp by Doodlebug (isn't it just the cutest?)...and then I added some Bo Bunny Flowers and this adorable felt heart by Buttons Galore and More... I also used two Martha Stewart punches on this...the arch along the side and the hearts border for my 3 hearts along the bottom...
Below is a very special "win" picture for me...this was the first time "my" family saw me show (even though I've been doing it for years)...and I made it a memorable one by winning two world championships in Denver aboard my horse Jazz. Left to right Myself on Jazz, my husband Kevin, my Brother Jonathan, my mother Sue and my sister-in-law Jena.
Below is myself and my husband coaching students in the showpen (which is where you can typically find us if we're not sitting on a horse).
Something we never, ever seem to miss, even though we work almost every holiday weekend, is the 4th of July fireworks...no matter what horse show we're at or even if we are at home, we typically see more than one fireworks show. I remember driving home late at night from a horse show and seeing several fireworks shows from the highway as we drove along...which was pretty cool.. so that's why I made this card below...
In honor of 4th of July (now I realize that even if you don't live in the good ol' USA that your country probably has a similar holiday of national reverence). I just happened upon this stamp set at Archivers (and apparently it is exclusive to Archivers, so if you like it, I'd not hesistate and snatch one up ASAP...as it happens this was one of two left at ours)...this stamp set is by Stampendous and it is called Patriotic Pair (there is also a statue of liberty not shown on my card...). I think this card is fairly self explanatory...all stamps seen came in this set, I used my Copics on the little "Sam"...keep reading...there's more...
Now summer to me, also means "FATHER'S DAY!"...and I found this tutorial by Jackie Topa for this sharp little suit card below...it was super simple to put together...and wouldn't it look cute as a tux too?
...and since we're speaking of tuxes, this week the "normal" Stamptacular Sunday Challenge is WEDDINGS! I chose to make a "hinged" card (see tutorial for that here) and my brad (the actual hinge) is hiding underneath my bow.... for my images I used one of my favorite digital sets from the Digital Stamp Oasis, the Love Birds. I colored them in Copics and cut them out with my Nestabilities Circle Die and then layered them on a blue scalloped die. My embossed background is the Textile folder from Cuttlebug. My punches are both my Martha Stewart and the sentiment is by SU!
Thanks for playing along with me today...and be sure to leave me a comment (you want to be eligible for the prizes!) about what your favorite summer activity is ... and the next blog for you to hop to is:Happy Hopping!
69 comments:
Hi Paula. I really loved reading all about your work, hobbies and the things you enjoy in life :-) You lead a very interesting and varied life :-)
I live on the small mediterranean island of Gozo and spend the summer months swimming, scuba diving and having BBQ's, going out to beach bars for pizza ,,,, lovely :-)
Enjoy your summer :-)
Love your cards too btw !! :-) I have this bird image and made a wedding card last week using it so might use something different this week !! :-)
Lorraine x x
Paula
It was lovely to see photos about what you do during the summer.
I am an historical re-enactor during the summer (English Civil War).
Great cards.
Emma
x
Hi Paula, what a lovely fun you all have in the summer!
I love enjoying and playing with the children in our garden in the summer, with regular BBQ'S(had 3x this week as half term hols and DH home!), and as our weather can be wet our 2 week hols abroad :)
Great hop :)
wow paula, what great cards! you were very busy, huh? ;) i am really looking forward to the summer months, we are going to carinthia for some days and just relax there :) then i have promised myself to spend more time to my family who is about 350 km away from me. and i would love to travel around a bit with my boyfriend, so hope the weather would be fine :) love, manuela
Hi Paula,
thanks for telling so much about you and your family! It was very interesting! My favourite summer activity is hanging out in the garden, laying in the sun and play with my daughter! And of course I love BBQ's :)
Have a great day, Hugs Tanja
Hi Paula,
It is so nice to get to know a bit more about people :) Working with horses sounds great I have always worked with animals untill my job now but never with horses. Your cards are stunning I love them all but my fav has to be the first one woth the horse love those heart brads and the heart button.
My favourite thing to do in summer is go out for a picnik in the park or by the river with friends and just enjoy the outdoors for a while.
X Amy X
hiya paula, you sound to have an amazing lifestyle, im in the uk so weather is more bad than good but in the good summer days i like nothing better than going out for walks with my family to parks etc and also a good old bbq is always a fave lol, love your cards and i love the uncle sam stamp its soo cute.
sandra xxx
What a fabulous post, and some really fantastic set of cards, I think I like the Tux best but the idea of the hinge card is fab too.
I like spending time in the garden with my DH during the summer. He's a gardener by trade where as I am stuck in an office most of the time. I find the flowers inspire colour creativity ! (being in the UK the weather is not great the rest of the time !
Kate x
Hi Paula, Gorgeous cards! I loved reading all about your summer. My summer fun is to play in the garden with my children, picnics, BBQ's and going to the beach.
Lisa x
Fabulous creations Paula, I don't know which one I like best, they are all amazing.
Liza x
that hinged card is so amazingly cool i can't believe it! i love the layered scallops and the color scheme. also, so interesting to learn about your "real life."
this is my first stop and i'm inspired and having fun already!
kathie
Hi Paula
Enjoy reading your blog. Showed horsed myself as a 4-Her many moons ago....did well considering I have a grade "contest" mare up against all the families that were "in the money" :)
Now, I love to travel whenever possible, but these days will find my husband and I cruisin on our harley on a nice summer day after all the work is done on out deer farm.
Paula, that's a whole lot of awesome cards. Great job! Your work with horses sounds so fun -- I used to ride (English show) when I was a teenager and still miss it occasionaly.
My favorite thing to do in the summer is take it easy in the evenings. With 2 kids, it's so nice that we don't have to rush through classes, homework. Just hanging in the backyard in the cool evening is perfect!
Hi Paula, that was a great read about your summer.We don't get many sunny days here in Scotland but when we do we go to Loch Lomond and eat fish suppers!
Liz x
Great to read about your life with horses and seeing your lovely cards. Hope to join in again later this week.
xoxo
Whoops sorry forgot you wanted to know what I like to do.......love to BBQ out in the fresh air.
xoxo
hi paula what a busy summer ahead of you....well this summer is my first real summer in scotland so i can't wait to pack a picnic and head off into the unknown and see scotlands beauty and lots of little hideaways. xx
Wow! All the great cards looks stunning, and I loved reading about you spend your summers!
I'm living nearby a sea, and ladst summer we bought ourself a 23 feet boat. I love spending time in the boat, relaxing, reading and eating chrimps and having a glas of cool white wine:) And we're also lucky to have a 1 km long beach (that we see from our livingroom window;), that we love spending time at, mostly for swimming in the sea!
Happy summer! Hugs, Lena
Hi Paula,
what an interesting occupation you have! I live in Scandinavia (Finnish by birth, living in Norway for the second year now), and show horses like that are not usual here. I grew up along the horse race track though, not jockeying but those races with horses pulling a streamlined buggy (no idea what it's called in English), as my stepfather was into the sport. I was a little horsefly :D Finland has their own horse breed by the way, a cold-blood worker stock with light coloring called "suomenhevonen". Well, that's what I did as a kid, now-a-days my summers have much less horse and a lot more slacking about - I developed a serious allergy to hay and can't stand being close to pollinating fields.
nunt xx
ps. Awesome cards!
What a great job, but bet it dosen't feel like work. Love your cards, you have done a great job.
I just love the sunshine and all that it brings. Everything is so much better with a bit of sunshine. I love to sit in the garden and enjoy the flowers and the birds and watch my cat chase butterflies.
So bring on the sunshine. hugs Shelley
For me being with my family is what I like to do in the summer. Visit my father in Buffalo and brother in Richmond. stamping sue
Hi Paula... well like you I'm a horse person as well. I LOVE the summer and being able to saddle up and just ride. Fortuantely we live in an area where I can do just that. We also spend much of our summer camping and BBQing...
Your cards are great. I LOVE that horse image... too cute! He's just so perfectly round :-)
Super Fabulous cards Paula. I really love the Father's Day Card. So perfect. I may have to try that out today.
Hi Paula! Love all your cards. Sounds like you are a busy woman! My family and I have Quarter Horses but don't show them. My oldest son wants to learn to rope.
Anyway, we love the summer and like to relax at home. My boys also play on a travel baseball team and that takes up a lot of our summer. We like to go to Schlitterbaun water park too! Hope you have a great one!
Love hearing what you like to do and that. My life is very boring not much to do here for the summer just BBQ's at home
Thanks for sharing
Wonderful cards...loved seeing them. I especially love the Cuttlebug-embossed card that flips up!
My favorite thing to do during the summer is sit on my deck and watch the birds. I also love to go to our neightborhood park and walk laps (when it's cool). Have a great summer.
Debra in Conroe, TX
i use to hate swimming... but now i love it!!!! and since it's texas and it's hott all the time... we get to swim even when it's not summer!!!
Love the Photos
Paula you have such a wonderful blog! I added it to my favs list. I love the cards you've made!!! The hinged one is my fav!
That is fascinating work you do with the horses! Congrats on the win and with your family there makes it even more special!
We live in Fl so most of our summer fun happens in a pool or inside with the ac on!!!;o)
What a great post!! Love your horse pics and the wedding card!
Great card!
Love you MP punches :D
Janneke X
Hi Paula,
Thanks for telling us a bit about yourself and how you spend your summer.
I love the summer here in the UK and try and spend as much time as possible out in the garden playing with my son and going on family walks in the light evenings.
Clare x
Oh my goodness Paula! All of your creations are incrediable and very inspiring! Thanks for sharing your amazing talent!
My favorite Summer activity is sitting outside by a campfire or firepit in the evenings and enjoying the night sky.
Hi Paula!! I just love your blog. Your cards are just amazing- thanks for leaving the links for the tutorials. My favorite thing to do in the summer is to hang out at the beach or pool with my kiddos!!
OMG Paula!! How awesome you work with horses? I used to ride/rodeo race a Chestnut Quarter Horse when I was younger. I stopped riding when I was at a rodeo doing the clover leaf race, finished my race, placed second BTW, and when I was whoaing my horse, Riddlebar, he unexpectedly bucked on me. I was thrown off of course, and no matter how many times I was taught to tuck and roll when you fall off a horse, I still went of with spagetti arms out and broke my wrist and arm very badly. I now can not grip the reins strong enough to race anymore. I had to say goodbye to my horse, but oh did I love riding!!
My summer fun thing I like to do is hanging out with my girls!! Going to Disney, going to Adventure Landing (our water park here in Jacksonville, Fl), going to the beach, going to the pool, etc. If you can tell we love to be out in the sun all summer!!
Absolutely love all your cards!! It is so awesome to be on so many teams with you!! You rock!!
I think I will atempt to make a wedding card with DSO's birds today!!
Have a great day!!
Michelle
Fantastic cards! I enjoyed reading your blog and will return.
Hi Paula Loved looking through your blog.
I live in the UK so IF we ever get a nice summer we go visiting English heritage places, castles etc and going to the fireworks every Friday night in Bournemouth plus having lots of BBQ's Hugs Julie
Hello Paula, Love your work and reading a bit about you.. TFS, janny
I love your blog and your work.
My favourite summer activity has to be watching sport. I watch my own child play Water Polo and I love to watch rugby. My team, the Bulls just won the super 24 tournament yesterday against a team from New Zeeland, the Chiefs. Unfortunately our summer has come to a very abrupt end and it is really cold here in South Africa!
Wow this is an amazing dream job your dedication is outstounding!
Love the showcase of cards you have put on.
I like to spend as much time with my kids and family in the summer we usually go to the lake district or wales swimming in the streams, lakes etc and lots of walking.
tracy x
Lovely cards Paula. Its very obvious that you love you work, and lead a very interesting life because of it.
In summer here although the kids have 5 weeks off we only have 2 so usually like to spend this somewhere hot - most voted for destination this year is Florida - again, as the kids keep reminding me its become family tradition to go every other summer!!!!
I'm off to the next blog before I get too caught up in looking at all your cards - I always get lost for a couple of hours once I get started!!
Lots of Love
Pam
Hi Paula
Sounds all very exciting doing all those horse shows and must be very rewarding teaching others to.
As i live in the UK i love having barbecues and little pool parties with the children, hubby and friends.
hugs Debra
Hello Paula,
Loved your cards, and I like horses too! We had a Tinker and a Connamara a few years ago. We had to sell them because I fell and broke my back. I'm doing fine now, thank god. We love to BBQ and sitting around in the garden. We recently moved and have a very mig garden now. And I love to scrap cards a summer long.
Enjoy your summer!
Renata xxx
Great pictures Paula! I love your tuxedo card. That is too cool.
Hiya Paula, oh wow these cards are all beautiful, I love the differences in them all, fabulous piccys. Joey.x
Oh my goodness! Fabulous creations!! You have ispired me to make some cards. I haven't done that in a while. :) I enjoyed reading about what you do..seems like you're super busy! But it also looks like you're having the time of your life!
Katherine :)
Hi Paula, its so nice to get to know you and your cards are wonderful!
what a busy Summer you have! Summer to our family means spending time together in our wonderful garden and great Summer holidays.
I love the idea of digital stamps and will def. take a closer look at those.
SueX
Hi Paula! I loved hearing about your summers! I wish you lived closer as I would love to ride horses again, and get my daughter some real lessons as well! I'm sure there's something around here! Your cards are beautiful, I especially love the 4th of July card, that being my favorite color combo outside of crafting! I just bought a beautiful red, white and blue hanging flower basket for my front porch, I'm so excited! I'm not a gardner at all, but am excited to try to keep a plant or two alive!
Have a wonderful summer, my friend! Hope to see more pictures of you and your beautiful horses!
--Dee
Hi Paula, wow what an interesting life you lead. I'm really excited to be joining the 'blog hop'. In the summer I just like chilling out with a cold drink and reading. Hugs, Denise x
Hi Paula In the summer I love to be out walking or in my garden
Wow beautiful cards and beautiful horse! My favorite summer activities are camping and fishing, anything outdoors really :) Thanks for the chance to win!
Thanks for sharing your projects! I liked the wedding card! I'll have to check out the Martha Stewart punches...I liked the arch punch.
My favorite summer activity is having wiener roasts in our yard. We do hot dogs and then smores...but not the tradional smore...we use choc covered cookies! Try Keebler Grasshopper cookies (mint!) for a gourmet smore! We had our first weiner roast last night and stayed by the fire until it started raining!
Off to Nikki's blog...she is in my SU downline and I love her creativity!
-Martha
Hi Paula
It was fab reading all about your life, hobbies and loves. Your cards are fabulous and beautifully made luv sue x
Wow, Jazz is gorgeous! Great job :D Love the cards too ;) Hehe, I miss showing (had a QH in my younger years). Once my husband gets out of the Army we plan on settling down with our own farm, and you guessed it, we'll have horses again! :D
God bless
Your crards are great!! My favorite summer time fun is camping with my family.
Hi Paula, you really rocked out some beautiful cards! I love every one of them. I enjoyed reading more about you. My favorite summer things are: grilling out, gardening, fishing, going to the park...although I do that other seasons too!
Hi Paula what a wonderfull life you lead, I feel quite boring, now my family are grown up and left the nest to build there own, my husband and I love to take our Border Terriers on long walks and also Fly fishing is the hobby this year we tend to drift from one to the next, it used to be field archery, love your hinged card, never seen one like that before.
Debs
Hiya, I loved all your cards and enjoyed reading about what you love to do in the summer, Me well i love goign to the beach with the kids, they all love swimming and they are so good when we go there
Hugs
Ammie
Hi, Paula. I don't know anything about horses. It was interesting reading things about you, your family and hobbies. Lovely cards! My family usually just have BBQs during the summer, nothing special.
Wow your cards are great, I love that horse. I am so gonna have to try one of those suit cards.
My favorite summer day event is just relaxing in a swing and reading! Beautiful 4th of July card!
Hi Paula,
What awesome summers you and your family have! BUSY...BUSY...BUSY! I loved learning more about you and the things that are important! Thanks so much for sharing!
Fabulous cards! I definitely want to go to Archivers for that Independence Day set! Too cute!
The wedding card you created...AMAZING! I love everything about it! The colors, the layout and the design...FABULOUS!
Thanks for being a fabulous part of the SSC DT!
Hugs,
Priscilla
Hi Paula... WOW after reading your post, I'm missing Summer even way more than I was early when I woke up this morning to the first day if Winter here in Australia :( I love everything about summer, the heat the smells & especially the sun, i'm not sure if it pyscological or not, but I always feel great when the sun is shining, it has a natural healing lift about it. Here in Australia is always hot in Summer, so we have lots of salads, bbq's, trips to the beach & picnics with our kids. Thanks for the "warm" thoughts... even though I am rugged up with all the layers of clothing haha
x
Rima
It was great to see about you.. not just cards (although the cards were great).
My fav thing to do in the summer is go out on the lake for a boat ride.
My favorite summer activity is laying in the lounge chair on my deck reading a book. Ahhh!
Blessings,
Christine
Paula great blog post made great reading and your cards were fabulous .
Paula, thank for letting me know to check Stamptacular!! I can't believe I won Nikki's blog candy!! How cool is that!! I had fun with y'all first blog hop!! Let me know when y'all are gonna do it again!!
Again thanks!!
Have a wonderful day!!
Michelle
Wow, amazing cards, Paula!
When I first saw the pic of you and your hubby, I thought it was Jewel (you, of course). Have you ever been told you look like her?
I love going to the beach, even if it's just to walk on the sand.
p.s. LOVE the tuxedo
Wonderful work, Paula!
Summer to me is long, hot, humid days filled with lots of bugs. Can you tell I'm not much of a summer person. lol.
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