The Stamp Aisle

Welcome, Baby!

2009-01-28T19:23:00.004-05:00

Hello, everyone! I finally stamped! It's been awhile...:(

Anyway...one of my dear friends, Michelle, is about ready to burst with her newest addition. We had a baby shower for her at work and I was in charge of making the card. Here is what I came up with.

I used one of my favorite Anna Wight sets, Bundle of Joy. I paired it with Pacific Point, Wild Wasabi, and Pure Poppy cardstocks. I just love the PTI ribbon and thought the stitching on the ribbon added a nice masculine touch to the card.

Of course I had to add some glitter and the image was colored with Prismacolor pencils.

I hope you all enjoy the rest of the week!

Sweet Pea

2009-01-04T20:30:00.000-05:00

I made this little cutie for Kristina's color inspiration, but as usual, I missed the deadline! I need to pay closer attention to that! LOL!

The colors to use were Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Old Olive, and white. This is one of my all time favorite color combinations...so pretty and feminine.

I used my Papertrey Green Thumb set for a simple little image and added some ribbon and a Basic Grey button. Some polka dot paper and Old Olive cardstock finished it up. Nice and simple...the way I have been feeling lately!

Geniune

2009-01-02T20:21:00.004-05:00

Holy Moly! I love Christmas, but I am always so glad when all the stress is finally over! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and healthy new year.

Here is a little layout that I threw together the other night. I totally scraplifted this layout as the inspiration. Kelly's entire gallery is so gorgeous!

This is a picture of Riley this summer at the pool. I have used this picture in another layout, but I love it so much I wanted to use it again!

I used SU! basic black cardstock and Varsity (I think!) papers. I love easy-peasy pages like this that don't have tons of foo-foo (although I love those, too!)

Come fly with me

2008-12-05T18:28:00.000-05:00

Slayton is going to grow up to be my engineer. He just lives for figuring things out and making them better. He loves anything that 'works'. His uncle gave him just a simple styrofoam plane and it kept him busy for so long. First, he was content to just fly it...but soon he was experimenting. He would turn the wings around, or make the tail a different angle, just to see what would happen. I hope Slayton keeps his inquisitive nature. I think it will take him far.

This kit is called 'No Girls Allowed'.

Smores

2008-12-04T20:38:00.001-05:00

One of our family traditions is to use the hot coals from our little charcoal grill to make smores. The kids look forward to it every time we cook out. It's going to be a long winter with no smores! It's funny, I've noticed everyone in the family toasts their marshmallows differently...I like them just barely toasted, Slayton likes it pretty brown, and Daddy makes his as black as midnight! Kira likes her smores unassembled! LOL!

This is a cute little kit from MandaBean called Miss Patterson. I bought it over at Sweet Shoppe.

I believe...

2008-12-03T19:21:00.000-05:00

I just love this page. That is really it. I just love it! :) I love how Ali Edwards writes on her photos and I wanted to try that style. I thought this picture was perfect since Kira was off center and I had all that great dark 'empty' space to write in. I think it worked out perfectly.

This is a kit from Jessica Sprague called Flower Girl. It is just adorable...the colors are so sweet. The font is my ever favorite from Ali Edwards.

9? Is it really possible?!

2008-12-02T18:28:00.000-05:00

My baby is going to be 9 years old soon. I just can not believe it! He is like this little adult living with us! He even gets some of the 'grown-up' jokes! Ack!

I took this picture while we were playing at the park a few weeks ago. When I went back and looked at the photos, I was just in awe of how grown up he is. In so many ways I am not ready for this, but in many...I certainly am!

This digital kit is from Sweet Shoppe and is called Nana's Cupboard.

Riley at the pool

2008-12-01T18:14:00.002-05:00

This is just a quick little page about how much Riley loves the pool and swimming. I want to be sure to document all the things the kids love to do. I wish I had my childhood memories written down now that I am older and I want to be sure to do that for my kids. I hope they appreciate it when they are older.

This digi kit is called Celebrate Life, but I am not sure where I bought it from...

Sweet as Honey!

2008-11-30T18:28:00.000-05:00

I hadn't been 'shopping' around for freebie digital kits in forever, so I went poking around and found this adorable kit at 2Peas. The elements and colors were perfect for how I wanted to scrap this picture of Kira.

Kira really is sweet as hone, but at the same time she can be SSSOOOOO bad! Oy. I certainly hope she gets it all out of her system before she is a teenager!

Once again, the font is Ali's. I sure do love it! :)

Halloween, 2008

2008-11-29T18:07:00.000-05:00

We had such a blast on Halloween this year! The kids were all old enough to really enjoy it! I did up this page pretty quickly. I love this Halloween Kit from Ping Designs. I just tried to Google them so I could add a link, but I think they may have closed...that stinks! They had great kits. Anyhoo...

So, my hubby restores classic arcade machines for a living, so it was just natural for our kids to dress up as Super Mario Bros. for Halloween! If you look super close in the picture, you can see that my husband has some games on our front porch. Every year, he wheels a few outside, puts them on free-play mode, and lets the Trick-or-Treaters play games. I'm not sure who enjoys it more, the kids or Peale!

The font is Ali Edwards, again, and is still available on her blog.

Have a fantastic night!

Fall

2008-11-28T21:27:00.000-05:00

Here is a little digital page I did tonight. I was lucky enought to get some fantastic pictures of my kids in the leaves this year and wanted to be sure I scrapped them right away. I forgot how much I love to put my feelings and memories down on paper. I almost feel like I don't have to work so hard to remember every moment, because I have everything written down and can go back and revisit these memories. I know that probably doesn't make much sense, but that's OK!

This kit is from Shabby Princess and I use PSE 5.0. The font is Ali Edwards' and can be found on her blog.

Juicy Snack

2008-11-27T19:41:00.000-05:00

Today's page is just a sweet one of Kira eating an apple at Grandma's. She was just so cute sitting there, taking a break, and enjoying a snack.

It feels great to finally get some pages in my albums! I feel like I am making some headway with my gigantic stack of photos!

Recipe:
Cardstock: Regal Rose, Soft Sky, Bravo Burgandy, PTI white
Accessories: American Crafts Thickers, SU! rubons, sewing machine, corner rounder punch, Crop-A-Dile

My Mom Rocks!

2008-11-26T17:30:00.000-05:00

This is my all time favorite article of clothing I have EVER bought one of my kids! It says 'My Mom Rocks'! It's just the coolest!

Recipe:
Stamps: Autumn Leaves journling circle
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive
Paper: Ski Slope
Accessories: American Crafts Thickers, PTI ribbon, sewing machine, white gel pen

First Day '08

2008-11-25T19:26:00.001-05:00

I just adore these pictures of my kids on the first day of school this year. Slayton is in 3rd grade, Riley entered Kindergarten, and Kira is 3 1/2 so she just wanted her picture taken!

I really had fun pairing elements together for this page. I used the Cosmo Cricket paper as the inspiration for the color palette. The title is American Craft thickers and I used the swirl stamp from the Wanted stamp set. The ghost flowers were swiped in white stazon ink and the other painted with MM scrapbooking paint.

Til tomorrow!

Switching gears a little...

2008-11-24T19:12:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to get caught up in my scrapbooking a little bit. I LOVE to make cards, but I also enjoy to scrapbook. I feel that it is really important to get all the memories down on paper for my children to cherish as they get older. I want them to know how I felt and what we did as they grew.

This page is Kira drawing on the sidewalk at Grandma and Grandpa's house, but I wanted to journal about what I was thinking when I took the pictures.

The journaling reads: "Kira- I have a confession. I am dying to know how you will turn out. Who will you become? What will you study? Who will you marry? When I look at you, all I see as the possibilities. You are so bright, happy, and sassy that the world is yours. I can imagine all the fantastic adventures ahead for you. For now, I will be patient and enjoy these moments."

Recipe:
Carstock: Chocolate Chip, Cream, Old Olive, Baja Breeze
Paper: Daisy Bucket
Accessories: Felt Flowers from SU!, sewing machine, Crop-A-Dile, PTI ribbon, Polka Dot background stamp, Baja Breeze ink

Cozy Critters, Days 7 &8

2008-11-23T16:23:00.003-05:00

I did not get a chance to stamp this weekend, so I will present the conclusion of the Cozy Critters marathon at a later time. We have spent the weekend cleaning and purging. I guess we do our spring cleaning in the fall! I cleaned my kitchen from top to bottom yesterday and today we cleaned out my bedroom closet. We have 4 HUGE bags of garbage and 3 bags of donations. We plan on slowly de-cluttering our house until it is shiny and new! A 3 bedroom apartment with 5 people quickly gets crowded with too much stuff.

I do, however, have some scrapbook pages to share with you this week. I have some traditional and digital pages that I have been working on.

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

Cozy Critters, Day Six!

2008-11-21T17:51:00.001-05:00

OK, Girls! Here is day 6! Even though this little sheep is saying 'Baaa-Humbug', I think he looks quite festive with his holly branch and Santa hat! I think this is one of my favorite images in this set...his little face is just adorable!

Lamby is paired up with some Kraft and Real Red card stock. I stamped the Kraft with my Papertrey Polka Dots Basics stamp set in White Craft ink. I sponged the edges a little with white ink to give it a 'frosty' feel. The fabulous silver ribbon is also from Papertrey.

Only two more critters in my set! Oh, No! I've had so much fun using this set I'm sure I will use it for years to come.

See you all tomorrow!

Cozy Critters, Day Five!

2008-11-20T17:00:00.001-05:00

OK, here's Day 5 of my Cozy Critters spree. Today I am featuring Mr. Meow. Mr. Meow wishes you all a 'Meowy Christmas"!

I used up some scraps from yesterday's card on this one. More Figgy Pudding paper and Baja Breeze card stock. I pulled out my brandy new Papertrey ribbon...I can't remember the name of the color off the top of my head...Ocean Breeze, maybe? Anyway...it's purty and me likey!

I can't believe Thanksgiving is just a week away. WooHoo! 4 day weekend! This year, we are getting a Turducken...I made my husband promise! I can't wait to try it.

Have a great night and I hope you are all getting excited for the holiday season!

Cozy Critters, Day Four

2008-11-19T18:41:00.002-05:00

Awww! Look at that little face!!! Isn't this puppy just the cutest little bloke?!

Puppy was colored with Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol and paired up with Basic Grey Figgy Pudding paper. Baja Breeze card stock from SU! matches the DSP perfectly and a Pure Poppy ribbon from Papertrey adds the perfect punch of color.

Hope you all have a fantastic night and be sure to go check out Anna's sets over at Whipper Snapper!

2008-11-18T15:54:00.001-05:00

So, day 3 of the Cozy Critters marathon brings this tweet card! I just realized the first photo is a bit blurry...sorry about that.

More Ski Slope paper make this birdy all ready to celebrate the holiday season. My sewing machine has decided to start jamming, so I just used it to pierce the stitching holes and I just used my trusty ole white gel pen to do some faux stitching.

More glitter with my Quicky Glue Pen, a silver brad, and a clear button with some silver floss are the perfect finishing touches.

Cozy Critters, Day Two!

2008-11-17T15:38:00.001-05:00

OK, so here is the next installment of the Cozy Critters series! Fishy is all decked out in his blue scarf...although, I'm not too sure it will keep him warm since it is probably all wet, you know...with his being a fish and all! Still cute!

I paired Fishy up with Pacific Point card stock that was stamped with Papertrey's Polka Dot Basics stamp set. Some ribbon, glitter, and machine stitching finish up this non-traditional Christmas card.

Come back tomorrow to see a very 'tweet' card!

Cozy Critters!!

2008-11-16T15:17:00.005-05:00

OK, so the moment I saw Anna's new stamp set, Cozy Critters, I knew exactly where this week's stamping allowance was going! These little guys are just the most adorable things around. I am going to feature a card everyday using a new critter. Too many times, I buy a stamp set that has just a handful of images I like...well, I love EVERY image in this set and I want to be sure to share the adorableness!

This little owl is so sweet wrapped up in her fuzzy scarf. I just got the SU! Ski Slope paper, so I paired it up with the image. Some Old Olive grosgrain ribbon and some scallops add some detail. Oh! I can't forget about the all important Quickie Glue Pen and glitter!

I hope you enjoy the Critters this week!

No stamping?!?

2008-11-14T20:17:00.000-05:00

I made up this little card from some scraps on my table. I just went with the flow and this sweet card was the result. Sometimes it's fun to create a card without stamping...sometimes it seems a little less stressful!

The paper is from Imaginisce and the ribbon is Papertrey. I used Thickers from American Crafts for the lettering and just some rhinestones in the corners for a little bling...gotta have bling!

Simple Winter Card

2008-11-13T20:10:00.002-05:00

Oh, my goodness! It has been QUITE some time since I have posted! I took some time off from stamping during the fall. Life is just so busy with 3 kids and work that something had to give. Now that things have started to calm down a bit (before the holidays...) I plan on spending a little more time in my scrap room!

Here is a little card I put together to get back in the groove. I used First Fruits from Papertrey and some Memory Box paper. There is a little bit of glitter on the pine needles just to give them a little wintery interest.

I stitched around the base and used Nesties to cut out the image. A little chocolate Papertrey ribbon finishes it off quite nicely.

I just ordered some new Basic Grey papers and embellies from scrapbook.com so I am excited to get those and play. I am planning on doing more scrapbooking this winter since I have a stack of photos that is a mile high!

Hope you all have a fantastic night!

2008-08-22T20:49:00.005-05:00

I finally got to participate in Kristina color challenge! I have wanted to do the last few, but life just got in the way!

I really loved the contemporary look of the colors and wanted to carry that through in my card. I sketched this out before I started it (something I rarely do).

I used Birds of a Feather and Guide Lines for the images. The white panel is actually stamped in with Guidelines in white craft ink, but it is hard to see in the pictures.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend. We are going school clothes shopping on Saturday since schools starts again on Thursday. Riley is in desperate need of some pants (can you say highwater?!) and Slayton needs everything! Can't wait to pay that bill!

Recipe:
Stamps: Birds of a Feather, Guidelines
Paper: PTI white, Rose Red, Basic Gray, Basic Black
Ink: Rose Red, White Craft
Accessories: Nestabilities, brads, sewing machine, felt flowers, ribbon

Berry Bliss Quilt

2008-08-21T19:48:00.003-05:00

I am still having do much fun with my Quilter's Sampler set. It just offers SO many design possibilities. Here, I used my Berry Bliss paper and stamped the same quilt block on several patterns. I stitched the blocks together and made a quilted strip. Everything else is pretty simple...an embossed panel with the sentiment and an embossed background.

I love this sentiment...I know I feel that my role in the family is to keep everyone organized and everything running smoothly. I just love the comparison of my role in the family to a nice, warm, and cozy quilt.

Recipe:
Stamps: Quilter's Sampler
Cardstock: Rose Red, Chocolate Chip. PTI white
Paper: Berry Bliss
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Nestabilities, Cuttlebug folder, ribbon, sewing machine

Boo!!!

2008-08-20T19:18:00.003-05:00

Who's ready for Halloween?!?! I know I am! The kids are already planning to dress up as Mario and Luigi from the Nintendo game. Kira wanted to be a princess so she fits right in the theme!

I think Best Fiends is my absolute most favoritest Stampin' Up! set ever. It is my baby and will be with me til the bitter end! LOL! This card is pretty straight forward despite quite a few layers. The black layer was stamped with the polka dot background with white craft ink. I used my Papertrey Guidelines set to create the pattern on the Tangerine Tango layer. I used my Quicky glue pen to add some lilac cosmo glitter to the design.

Some nestie work, scallops, ribbon, and stitching and viola! an adorablly spooky Halloween card.

I hope you are all having a great week! The holidays will be here before we know it!

Recipe:
Stamps: Best Fiends, PTI Guidelines
Cardstock: Black, PTI white, Tangerine Tango, Kiwi Kiss
Ink: Pallette Noir, White Craft
Accessories: Cosmo glitter, quickie glue pen, nestabilities, ribbon, corner rounder punch, silver hodgepodge harware, sewing machine

Abigail

2008-08-19T18:08:00.005-05:00

My friend at work is adopting a baby this week and I wanted to make her something special for the nursery. I think this name plaque is perfect! I wanted to use girlie colors without using the traditional Pretty in Pink and white combination. I think the bold yet feminine colors work perfectly.

This actually came together pretty easily once I had all the rectangles cut out and embossed...seemed like that took FOREVER! I stitched around the paper and once I adhered the squares to the green piece, I stitched a wavy line across the letters.

This was the first time I opened the felt flowers from SU! They are really nice! They are so nicely made and thick. I used vintage brads in the centers.

Deb just loved this and I hope she enjoys every moment of her new addition.

Recipe:
Stamps: Schoolhouse Serif alpha
Paper: Ginger Blossom
Card stock: PTI white, Rose Red
Ink: Old Olive
Accessories: Nestabilities, sewing machine, vintage brads, Cuttlebug, Felt Flowers

I stink you're sweet

2008-08-18T19:04:00.000-05:00

I whipped this little guy together tonight for a co-worker thank you. My friend Lynn brought me the most delicious cake on my birthday. I wanted to make her a cute thank you to show her how much I appreciated it.

I used some scraps from my table from this weeks cards. I love using up all the little pieces that are scattered everywhere. I don't think this little skunk could get much cuter!

Recipe:
Stamps: Pun Fun
Cardstock: Soft Sky, So Saffron, PTI white
Paper: Imaginisce
Ink: Pallette Noir black, copics
Accessories: Nestabilities, Dew Drops, paper piercing tool, sewing machine, pop dots

Sweetest flower

2008-08-17T20:36:00.000-05:00

I bought this Bo Bunny paper a few weeks ago and have been dying to play with it. I finally pulled it out and came up with this little number. Still working with the Verve sketches...

Another fairly simple card, just a Cuttlebugged background and some stitching. Stickles were added to some of the flowers for a little added interest. I really love the color combination I pulled out of the paper, I never would have put them together without the paper to unify them.

Recipe:
Stamps: Green Thumb by Papertrey
Cardstock: Not Quite Navy, Groovy Guava, PTI white
Paper: Bo Bunny
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Old Olive, Groovy Guava
Accessories: ribbon, sewing machine, Stickles, Cuttlebug

Cottage Flowers

2008-08-16T18:28:00.001-05:00

This is one of those images that you color and then it sits there on the desk as you ponder the perfect layout to do it justice. This one sat for at least 6 weeks LOL! I finally dull through my stash and found my Petals and Paisley paper. Perfect! The colors are so pretty and summery. Just the thing.

The image was colored (a long time ago!) with Copics and Stickles were added for some sparkle. Some stitching and Primas just finished it off nicely.

Recipe:
Stamps: Cottage Flowers from Karen Lockhart
Cardstock: Cool Caribbean, PTI white, Pretty in Pink
Paper: Petals and Paisley
Ink: Pallette Noir black, Copics
Accessories: taffeta ribbon, Nestabilities, Stickles, Primas, rhinestones

Wellies

2008-08-15T18:41:00.000-05:00

Yet another Verve sketch and what a surprise...more Papertrey stamps! LOL! I wanted to make a spring-y, happy card, so I pulled out this Imaginisce paper. So purty!

Nothing really to note on today's card...just lots of stitching and layers. This card just makes me smile...I think I may frame it!

Recipe:
Stamps: Green Thumb by PTI
Cardstock: Soft Sky, So Saffron, PTI white
Paper: Imaginisce
Ink: Soft Sky, Certainly Celery, So Saffron
Accessories: Primas, brads, Stickles, rhinestones, sewing machine

We'll always be tight!

2008-08-14T19:49:00.000-05:00

I had this set a few years ago and sold it. Well, I have always missed my beloved Laundry Notes and when I found one on the BST forums, I jumped on it! So, here is my first Laundry Notes card in so long! I used another Verve sketch (which are great BTW!). I thought the long card size, long tights, and long rectangle nesties all fit together nicely.

Recipe:
Stamps: Laundry Notes, Polka Dot BG
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, PTI white, Pink Pirouette
Paper: Bella Rose
Ink: Pallette Noir black, Riding Hood Red, Copics
Accessories: Nesties, PTI ribbon, corner rounder

Bella Rose Quilt

2008-08-13T18:28:00.000-05:00

Wouldn't a quilt made out of the Bella Rose paper be just gorgeous?!? Hmmm...may have to figure that one out. For now, though, I can only see it on paper. Like yesterday's card, I stamped, cut out, and stitched the blocks. The colors of this paper are so yummy, this all came together very quickly.

Recipe: Quilter's Sampler
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, PTI white, Old Olive
Paper: Bella Rose
Ink: Pallette Noir black, Copics
Accessories: grosgrain ribbon, sewing machine, 3/4" punch

Quilty-goodness!

2008-08-12T17:00:00.001-05:00

How can you not love this set from Papertrey?!? Totally cute and fun to piece the blocks together. I stamped the blocks onto the Cutie Pie paper and used a 3/4" punch to punch them out. I arranged them on white cardstock and stitched around all the edges. I used some Copics to add some additinal color and shadows to the squares...some more stitching and a ribbon and perfect!

Recipe:
Stamps: Quilter's Sampler from Papertrey
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Old Olive, PTI white
Paper: Cosmo Cricket Cutie Pie
Ink: Copics
Accessories: sewing machine, Nestabilities, 3/4" square punch, PTI Summer Sunrise ribbon, Cuttlebug

What a Hoot!

2008-08-11T19:49:00.002-05:00

I had so much fun playing with Wise Owl from Papertrey this weekend. What a fun set with so many options! Love all the bellies! LOL!

They say necessity is the mother of invention and it is certainly true with this card. I wanted a branch for my owl to sit on and I don't have any tree/branch stamps that were big enough. So, I looked around my stash for awhile and thought...'Hmm...why not use some brown ribbon?!?'.

This is one of the sketches from the Verve challenge. I'm not going to get them all one, but it was really fun to do the ones I did finish.

Recipe:
Stamps: Wise Owl from Papertrey
Cardstock: White from Papertrey, Riding Hood Red
Paper: Basic Grey
Ink: Copics, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Nestabilites, grosgrain ribbon

Just Hatched!

2008-07-18T17:51:00.000-05:00

So, I made my card yesterday and thought 'what a waste to throw that circle of paper out...what can I do with it?!'. So, I cut the scalloped circle out of Soft Sky cardstock and adhered that baby right to the front. Still using the Birds of a Feather stamp set, I stamped the main image in Soft Sky and Marigold Morning (loving that combo, BTW!). A little ribbon and it was done!

Spread your wings

2008-07-17T18:28:00.000-05:00

I made this card for a coworker who is leaving. I am going to totally miss her and thought that the 'spread your wings' sentiment was perfect for her new path in life.

I love my Memory Box paper and bought it specially to go with this stamp set. The colors are just fabulous!

Recipe:
Stamps: Birds of a Feather
Cardstock: PTI white, Soft Sky, Marigold Morning
Paper: Memory Box Aerial
Ink: Marigold Morning, Soft Sky
Accessories: Nestabilities, PTI Summer Sunrise ribbon, Pearls

Thank you berry much!

2008-07-16T18:07:00.000-05:00

I think I am the last Papertrey fan to get Green Thumb! Oh, well! I got it this month with my order and am having a blast with it! I also just got my circle Nesties and have been using them on everything. I got the Petite Scallops and am really happy with them. They are super sweet and delicate.

I made this card for our neighbors who gave us a Smores kit to enjoy on the 4th. I hope they enjoy it as much as we enjoyed the ooey-gooey treats!

I think if I made this card again, I would stitch the Ruby Red panel, but other than that, I am quite satisfied with how it came out.

Recipe:
Stamps: Green Thumb, SU! Polka Dot BG
Cardstock: Ruby Red, Marigold Morning, Wild Wasabi, PTI white
Ink: Ruby Red, Marigold Morning, Wild Wasabi
Accessories: Nestabilities, PTI Summer Sunrise ribbon

Life is a Journey

2008-07-15T17:00:00.000-05:00

The moment I saw Birds of a Feather from Papertrey I knew I had to have it. I just love every image and sentiment. This is the first card I made using the set.

Pretty straight forward...stamped images and inked edges. Cardstock is SU! Kraft and PTI Plum Pudding. I thought the two papers complimented each other quite nicely.

Finally playing with my new rubbah!

2008-07-14T22:15:00.003-05:00

I bought this Lockhart Rosebud cupcake stamp from Ellen during her Friday the 13th sale LAST MONTH! I am just now getting around to posting what I created! Oy! Anyway...I think this is just so sweet. I started with the paper from Bo Bunny and chose my colors from there. The images are colored with Copics and I stitched the paper. I love the sugary-sweet colors and the touch of whimsey. The ribbon is the scrumptious swiss dot from Papertrey. LOOOVE it!

Some Stickles and a sentiment finish 'er off!

I have bunches of new projects to share, but you have to come back tomorrow! LOL!

Attitude!

2008-06-19T17:00:00.000-05:00

Phew! I made it through my first digital page in SO long! I remembered more than I thought I would! LOL! I had PSE open to alter a photo, so I thought "What the hell! I'll do a page!".

I took this photo at my parents house when we visited them in April. Kira was munching on an apple on the front step, so I grabbed the camera. She is so stinking cute! She gives me the best little expressions during out 'photo shoots'.

The kit I used is from A Cherry on Top. Their site is great, you can get eye candy for both digital and paper pages. I just bought a bunch of American Craft Thickers to use on my pages, so I need to bust them out and play soon...maybe this weekend.

Have a great night, all!

Smile Crocodile!

2008-06-18T18:07:00.006-05:00

Hello, everyone!

Here is another fun card with my Hero Arts Zoo set. I'm still loving the Basic Grey paper with these images, they just seem to go together so nicely!

Nothing too fancy or complicated with this big guy...he was colored with Copics and I added some stitching to jazz it up a bit.

Recipe:
Stamps: Hero Arts
Cardstock: PTI white, Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky
Paper: Basic Grey
Ink: Palette Noir, Copics, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Sewing Machine, Chocolate Chip poly twill

Have a great night!

Always Friends

2008-06-16T17:00:00.001-05:00

I will be the first to admit...I forget my town has a LSS. I get so caught up in shopping online in the comfort of my living room, that the thought of actually going into a store sounds tiring! LOL! Well, the other day we went to the pet store for hermit crab stuff and the LSS is right next day, so I popped in. They have some awesome stuff! I got the Swiss Dot Cuttlebug folder, some Making Memories scrapbooking paints, some Stickles, and 2 Hero Arts acrylic stamp sets. This adorable little owl sold me on this set! Totally adorable! The rest of the set is Zoo animals and cute saying, so I can't wait to play some more.

I used my Copics to color this little cutie. I had her colored for a few days before I settled on a layout for the card. I had my Basic Grey paper pads out for the cards I posted earlier, so I flipped thru and chose these gorgeous papers. I enbossed the oval with my nesties and 'blind' stiched around the papers with my sew mini. I wasn't going to add a swntiment, but I thought 'Always Friends' was super sweet and it fit perfectly in that little nook.

Recipe:
Stamps: Hero Arts
Cardstock: Always Artichoke, PTI white, Rose Red
Paper: Basic Grey
Ink: Pallette Noir, Chocolate Chip, Copic Markers
Accessories: Nestabilities, Chocolate Chip Poly Twill ribbon, Horizontal slot punch, Sewing machine

Thank You Basic Grey!

2008-06-15T18:41:00.000-05:00

So, while I had my supplies out to make my last inspiration card, I whipped up this little beauty! I have a little confession to make, though. When the SU! catty came out and I saw the Spring Solitude Bundle as a hostess set, I KNEW I HAD to have it. Well, I got it *quite* a few months ago and this is the fist time it has seen ink! GASP! Oh, well...so it goes!

This is pretty straight forward. I stamped the image and cut and embossed it with my rectangle nesties. I also used my color spritzer tool to add some Wasabi splatter just to break up the white a bit. I also used my W1 Copic marker around the image to add some shadow interest.

Still obsessed with my Sew Mini, so there is some crazy stitching around the edges.

I hope you all have a great day!

Recipe:
Stamps: Spring Solitude
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Cranberry Crisp, PTI white
Paper: Basic Grey
Ink: Cranberry Crisp, Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip, White Craft
Accessories: Nestabilities, Color Spritzer, sewing machine

Kristina's 11th Color Inspiration!

2008-06-14T18:28:00.006-05:00

Hello all! I hope you are having a great Father's Day weekend! So, I stated this inspiration card out a lot differently than it ended up! I had envisioned a groovy retro piece and came out with a shabby chic card. Go figure!

I *may* have gotten a little carried away with the sewing. I just got a Janome Sew Mini and I heart it! It is so easy to use and it fits right on the shelf next to me. If you are looking for a powerful little machine that will not break the bank, I highly recommend you checking it out.

I tried stitching around the embossed edge of my focal point. It worked...OK. I'm not totally in love with it, but I will certainly try again until I get it right! I added some fine Cosmo glitter to some of the flowers just to bling it up a bit.

Recipe:
Stamps: Spring Solitude Bundle
Card stock: PTI white, Going Gray, Old Olive
Ink: Rose Red, So Saffron, Old Olive
Paper: Basic Grey
Accessories: SU! SAB rub ons, Quickie glitter pen, Cosmo Fine Glitter, Nestabilities, Color Spritzer, sewing machine, Old Olive wide grosgrain ribbon

Enjoy the resat of the weekend! Monday is coming awfully fast!

Berry Sweet

2008-06-07T18:31:00.003-05:00

Holy Moley! It got HOT! Yesterday was rainy and like 65 degrees. Today, it is 92 and sweaty!!! Icky!

Anyway, I made this card a few nights ago and wanted to share. I love the Cosmo Cricket Honey Pie papers. I saw them on Trudee's blog and fell in love the first time she used it. I finally got around to getting the 8x8 pad and love it even more in person.

I pared it with Wild Wasabi card stock and my PaperTrey Punny Valentine stamps. I think it is Berry Sweet!

Recipe:
Stamps: PTI Punny Valentine
Ink: Rose Red, Pretty in Pink,. Wild Wasabi
Cardstock: Wild Wasabi, Rose Red, PTI white, Cosmo Cricket Honey Pie
Nestabilities, satin wide ribbon

Color Inspiration Challenge 10

2008-06-01T17:08:00.004-05:00

Here is my submission for Kristina's 10th Color Inspiration! I just received this Pottery Barn catalog in the mail on Friday! There are SO many things I wish I could order. My whole house would be decorated in Pottery Barn if I wasn't on a Wal-Mart budget!

I had a great time making this card. My Hubby has all the kids on a Cub Scout hike to the top of one of the local mountains. They should be good and tired when they get back. But, it gave me a few hours to play.

Recipe:
Stamps: Always
Cardstock: Papertry white, Bashful Blue, Night of Navy, So Saffron
Ink: Night of Navy and So Saffron craft, Old Olive Classic
Accessories: Nestabilities, Old Olive Grosgrain ribbon, Clear Embossing Powder, markers, dimentionals, sewing machine, SAB rub-ons

Summer has begun!

2008-05-28T07:16:00.006-05:00

Price Chopper had a sale on seedless watermelons this week, so I just HAD to pick one up. Everyone in the house just loves the juicy, sweet, delicious goodness! :) I think watermelon was a perfect way to kick-off summer and enjoy the gorgeous weather we have been having!

Long weekends rock!

2008-05-26T11:32:00.003-05:00

I just love long weekends! Our local Home Depot is closing so they are having huge sales. I checked it out yesterday and got some great stuff for my stamp space. After I got all organized, I was inspired to try out some of my new toys.

On Friday, I received a huge box from Papertrey. I bought all the colors of their Perfect Match cardstock, inks, and ribbons! OOOHHH!!! New colors to play with! They are so beautiful and the quality is out of this world.

I paired my new favorites with another favorite...Posies for You from Whipper Snapper and Anna Wight. The fresh colors were prefect to celebrate this gorgeous weather we've been having!

Recipe:
Stamps: Posies for You by Anna Wight
Cardstock: Aqua Mist, Lemon Tart, and Stamper's Select White from Papertrey Ink
Ink: Copic Markers, Lemon Tart, White Craft
Accessories: Lemon Tart twill, Nestabilities, Water Brush, dimensionals

Inspiration challange 9

2008-05-15T19:18:00.007-05:00

Every week, Kristina posts a color inspiration for us and I have wanted to participate SO badly...and this week I got to!

I used one of my most favorite sets from Anna Wight. I knew the little sail boats would be just adorable with the colors.

I have been vowing to post pictures of the Copics I use on projects, so I finally did with this one!

Recipe:

Stamps: Bundle of Joy
Card stock: Papertrey Ink white, Old Olive, Summer picnic
Ink: Palette Noir, Copic Markers, Real Red craft
Brushed Silver hodgepodge hardware, dimensionals, Nestabilities

2008-05-03T10:53:00.003-05:00

Here is a little card I made a few weeks ago. It took like 3 weeks to make this card! LOL! I colored the image and it sat on my desk for a few days...then I added Stickles to the image and let it sit for a few days, then I embossed the polka dots and let it sit, then FINALLY I finished it up! Some cards are worth lingering over! LOL!

I just love all of Anna's Whipper Snapper stamps. They are so well thought out and versatile. The images are gorgeous and just beg to be used!

Recipe:
Stamps: Posies for You by Anna Wight, Polka Dot background
Card stock: Paper Trey Ink white, Almost Amethyst
Ink: Adironack Pitch Black, Versamark
Accessories: Stickles, White embossing powder, ribbon, Copic markers

Purty flowers!

2008-03-26T18:40:00.002-05:00

Since I loved the Afternoon Tea paper SO much, I had to get the matching stamp set. The images are just so beautiful.

Recipe: Live Your Dreams stamp set, Afternoon Tea DSP, Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip, PTI white, Groovy Guava cardstock, Stylized Silver HP, Choclate Wide grosgrain, spritzer tool, Chocolate Chip marker, dimentionals, blender pen, Groovy Guava and Wild Wasabi ink pads.

Anna Wight Baby cards!

2008-03-25T07:23:00.007-05:00

I had been wanting Anna's stamp sets since they were released, but I just couldn't pick one. So...I waited. Then she came out with this Baby set and I knew I had to get it. I threw Posies for You and Bo Peep's sheep on the order for good measure! LOL! I even got signed sets! I was so stoked!

So, here are some cards using Bundle of Joy. The images are just the cutest things ever!

This first one is colored with Copics and uses Large Oval Nestabilities for the main image. I made the scalloped edge with my corner rounder. The paper is SU! Afternoon Tea...the most beautiful paper they have ever made, IMHO!

OK, I have always like cows anyway, but this is my new favorite! You could even not ink the blankt and use it for something other than a baby card. More Afternoon Tea paper and Polka Dot background keep sweet Bessy baby themed, though!

After a couple pastel-y baby cards, I decided to make one with bright, bold colors. I used East Coast Prep paper and I just love the colors. I never really liked Wasabi, but after using it with this paper and the Afternoon Tea papers, I am in love. It is such a beautiful shade.

I hope everyone has a fantastic day!

Birthday Surprise!

2008-03-18T19:04:00.008-05:00

Sunday was Slayton's 8th birthday. We decided a few weeks before that as a gift we would take him to his favorite place on Earth, FUN SPOT! We told him we were going furniture shopping to keep him off our trail. Well, when we finally pulled into the parking lot (it's a 2 1/2 hour drive), I said "look! It's the furniture store!". Slayton said 'woo hoo (in the most 'I'm bored' tone possible). So I asked him what the name of the store was and he said "Fun Spot", it took a few seconds to sink in, and he said 'FUN SPOT!!!!! YYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!"

It's so fun to mess with the kids! Giggle!

Here is Kiki with her 'Princess Crown' she got at Burger King when we made a pit stop.

And Slayton flipping out once we realized where we were.

Slayton and Riley battling each other at Air Hockey.

Kiki playing on the 'kiddie' toys.

We just went and we are all ready for our next visit!

Friend

2008-03-17T08:15:00.003-05:00

Here is a fun little card I made a few weeks ago and never posted. Sometimes, I really don't have time to stamp but need to for mu sanity...so quick and clean cards are the answer for me.

I just punched out circles from the SU! Summer Picnic paper, adhered them to Kraft card stock, and used a SAB rub-on across them. Some ribbon and faux stitching finished it off in a snap.

I have some pictures of Slayton's birthday celebration to share later, but right now, it is time for stinky work!

Big purchase

2008-03-10T20:12:00.003-05:00

So, we have bought our first piece of 'Adult' furniture...a sofa! Several years ago when my parents bought new living room furniture, they were nice enough to give us their old set. It was terrific for what we needed it for. It was great for when the kids were super little. Unfortunatley, the sofa has come to the end. The frame is broken and it is super uncomfy. So, we went shopping!

We looked high and low and found this gorgeous sofa. Unfortunately, I could not find a picture of the color we got...it is actually a lovely olive microfiber, but this is the sofa.

We get it tomorrow or Wednesday and I am super excited!

Kiki funny!

2008-03-09T09:26:00.001-05:00

So, we are getting ready to go sofa shopping and Peale says to Kiki "Kira, what's the temperature outside?". To this Kiki plainly answers...

"Cold."

Giggle!

First weigh in!

2008-03-04T08:51:00.002-05:00

So, after a week on my new program, I've lost......

5 POUNDS!

Woo Hoo! Just 80 more to go! groan...

I have some good stuff to post in awhile. I have been working on my Stampin' Up! Artisan Awards entries. They are due in Utah on the 31st, so I've got to get crackin'!

Curves!

2008-02-29T09:00:00.003-05:00

So, I finally had enough and I joined Curves! I have been thinking about it for awhile and I finally decided it was time to do something just for me. I went last Saturday and got all registered. I have gone 4 days this week and have been VERY good with my diet, so hopefully I will start to see results soon.

I really love that Curves is just for women. I always hated going to the gym and having 20 something guys teach you how to use the machines. They were always so obnoxious, like because you are overweight, you don't belong. Well, you have to start somewhere! Having 8 or so other women to work out with is fantastic. Everyone is at different fitness levels and it is inspiring to see the women who have hit their goal weight. I hope that is me soon!

I will continue to post my progress for several reasons (even though you may not be interested! LOL!)

1. So I can track my progress.
2. So I can hopefully inspire someone else to take the same journey with me.
3. To keep myself honest and on track.

I hope you will all join me in my endeavor and cheer me on. I want to look good in a bathing suit this summer!

Have a great day!

Hmm...maybe I should post cards more often...

2008-02-27T21:21:00.006-05:00

so I don't have to post 4 at a time! LOL! Here are a bunch of cards I made in the past week or so...

I bought the Martha Stuart butterfly punch for a project, but all I have done so far is this card...I bought the paper at the same time and just loved the 'vintage wallpaper' feel of it. I thought it deserved something dramatic and beautiful. I had Wasabi paper on my desk and I thought it supported the elegant feel very well. The butterflies were all embellished with rhinestones and Stickles and some even got a dunk in glitter embossing powder!

The new Summer Picnic paper in the Occassions mini is super cute. I love this Lockhart cherry stamp and just had to put the two together. The image was colored with Copics and cut out and embossed with my Nestabilities.

Can you believe how well Regal Rose and Wild Wasabi matches the new Basic Grey Two Scoops paper?! They are destined to be together! This is the first time I've used my Lockhart Sunflower stamp. Poor thing probably thinks I don't like it! I will certainly have to use it more often...especially since I want to think about summer!

The sunflowers were colored with Copics and cut out with Nestabilities.

I like this card, but I bought the crappy silver embossing powder and it stuck all over the cardstock. :( Oh, well! The flower was again colored with Copics and cut out with my Nestabilities.

Sweet Cupcake

2008-02-27T20:25:00.005-05:00

I bought the Hey There, Cupcake! set from eP. It is so stinkin' cute! SO many possibilities! I have so many ideas in my head, now I just need to get some time to get them on paper...

Here is one card I was able to make. I am so in love with the Basic Grey Two Scoops paper. The colors are so luscious and the patterns are all so versatile. LOVE that!

My friend, Lynn at work has already bought this card...she just love it. That made my day! :)

Recipe:
Hey, there Cupcake!
Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi, Papertrey White, Basic Grey Two scoops papers
Pitch Black Adirondack ink
Rectangle Nestabilities
Copic markers
SU! Grosgrain ribbon
Rhinestone brads

I love being a grown up!

2008-01-31T21:49:00.000-05:00

So, today I had to run Slayton's skateboarding helmet into school so he had it for Winter Sports. As I was walking into the school, the ENTIRE sidewalk was a solid sheet of ice. I managed to fall and scrapped my knee all up (a perfect way to start the day!). So, I managed to get into the school without falling again and I headed right to the office. I walk in and the secretary and the principal are standing there. Here is the conversation that followed...

Me: I just fell outside. It is solid ice and there is not a drop of salt or sand out there.
Principal: Well, I worry about the adults, but kids bounce...
Me: KIDS BOUNCE!?! *I'm* worried about my kid! Someone needs to get out there NOW and salt!

WTH?!?! "Kids bounce"?!?! What kind of answer is that when I just fell?!? So, I called the Superintendent and complained. That is just ridiculous!

Slayton was most impressed that I yelled at the Principal and told his boss on him! LOL!

Just a bunch of cute cards!

2008-01-30T22:33:00.000-05:00

I was a busy little stamper this past weekend! I reorganized my stamping space (pictures in the next few days!) and sat dawn to enjoy my new area. The creative juices were flowing, so I made 5 cards.

This tissue box and sentiment just crack me up every time I see them! This is an awesome set for get well cards! The box was paper pieced and the tissues are popped up on dimensionals.

I bought 'A Little Birdie Told Me' when it was in the preview catty and I am just now pulling it out! I colored the bird with Copics.

This little gnome is just the cutest little thing! I never send St. Patrick's Day cards, but I think I will have to start! LOL!

I am using these cutie monkeys for my Valentine's cards. They were super easy to color with Copics and matched the Basic Grey paper perfectly.

Is any stamp collection complete without a pickle stamp?!? This Lockhart stamp is so freaking funny! Again, it was colored with Copics.

Some 3-day weekend cards!

2008-01-21T11:43:00.001-05:00

Weekends are really the only time I have to stamp, so I made sure to make extra time this long weekend! I received an order from Ellen Hutson this week, so I knew I had to get the stamps all inky! The images are just so great for coloring with Copics, so that was where I started.

The colors in this cupcake card were inspired by the ribbon. I bought it at Mikel's on Saturday with a gift certificate I got for Christmas. Thanks, Bestey! Anyway, I thought the colors would make a sunny and happy base for these yummy looking cupcakes.

I colored the image and added dots on the frame with a gel pen and added 'cherries' on top with Burgandy Stickles. While that dried, I Cuttlebugged the background with the dots folder. I like how the dots on the frame are echoed in the background, patterned paper, and ribbon,...kinda ties everything together.

I have always liked geraniums, so this stamp was a no-brainer when I added it to my cart! I colored the image and went from there with picking card stock colors. I really like the Real Red against the Certainly Celery. They compliment each other without being overbearing. The dotted paper and gingham ribbon add the perfect 'country' touches to a laid back card.

I can't believe it is time to start Valentine's! I feel like I JUST finished my Christmas cards! Basic Grey paper was my staring point for this card and it came together really quickly. The image was again colored with Copics and the hearts have Crystal Effects on them for added interest. Nothing too inventive on this card, just a nice basic creation!

And, lastly, I was asked by a woman at work to make some thank you cards for her sister. Penny's brother-in-law is in the hospital and the family has received some donation and needed cards to send. So, since I knew I was going to be making quite a few, I wanted to keep the design simple. I used my oval Nestabilites and stamped Thank You from Warmest Regards in Black Craft ink. A simple ribbon pulls it all together.

I hope you enjoyed the cards I created and hope you enjoy your long weekend as much as I did!

Just a couple cards...

2008-01-09T19:39:00.000-05:00

This was one of those cards that up until halfway thru, you kinda look at like 'what a waste of supplies!'. Then, all of a sudden it takes a turn and you love it. I have been playing with my new Nestabilities. They are SO fun!

The sponging on this card really brought it all together. It was just too 'clean' before!

I finally decided to order a few of the pre-order sets just because of the discount. It's really hard to let extra savings slip away! LOL!

This is a fantastic image to watercolor...lots of opportunity to add dimension. I used my clear and black spica glitter pens to add a bit of sparkle.

Snowy days are the best stamping days!

2008-01-01T13:14:00.000-05:00

Since the snow is falling outside, DH is cleaning the attic, and the kids are entertained with several activities, I decided to sneak away and stamp! Yippee! Here are a few cards I made with my new PaperTrey, Ink sets. This is a new release this past month called My Punny Valentine.

There will probably be no more stamping until everyone is in bed, but I wanted to share!

I hope everyone has a fantastic new year!

My dream come true

2007-12-10T21:14:00.000-05:00

I decided to do a quick digi page tonight while watching TV. I decided on this picture from Alice's wedding in September. I went looking for a digital kit that had the colors I wanted. I found All Aflutter and decided it was perfect not only because of the colors, but because of the saying that was included in the kit. 'You are my dream come true' is very appropriate for how I feel about my children. I always knew I wanted to be a mom (hadn't necessarily planned on three times over, though! LOL!). I could not have asked for more beautiful, brilliant, and healthy children. We are truly lucky.

Papertrey Joy!

2007-12-10T09:31:00.000-05:00

I finally got to play with my Snowflake Serenade set and this is what I came up with. I think it will be my Christmas card this year. I am so in love with Papertrey sets and Figgy Pudding paper. Love them together!

I stamped!!!

2007-11-24T20:19:00.000-05:00

I finally got a chance to stamp this long weekend! I put together 2 cute little cards.

This one is for the Limited Supply Challenge over on Splitcoast. We were to make a card with snowflakes, mostly neutral colors, and a touch of color. I just love how this came out. It is one of those cards that just happen naturally...not to much laboring over ideas.

You can't really see it in the picture, but the snowflakes (stamped and chipboard) are all embossed with irridecent ice powder. Very glitzy!

Recipe:
Stamps: Snowbursts, Michaels $1 stamp
Cardstock: Kraft, Real Red
Ink: White Craft
Accessories: Snowflake chipboard, Glitter Embossing powder, sponge dauber, paper piercing tool and mat, Stamp-A-Majig, Crop-A-Dile, Crystal brad

This is just a simple design. This stamp set is so much fun. I love having the sentiment and main image all in one stamp...makes it so quick! A little color, a background stamp, and a ribbon made this a really quick card.

Recipe:
Stamps: Big on Christmas, Flannel
Paper: Soft Sky, Old Olive, Whisper White
Ink: Black Stazon, markers, Soft Sky
Accessories: Old Olive wide grosgrain, waterbrush, silver pen

Cub Scouts

2007-10-13T18:33:00.001-05:00

We have a Cub Scout in the house! After much begging and debate in the house, I finally agreed to let Slayton sign up. He was so proud to be all dressed up this morning as he got ready for the Chuck Wagon Derby. The den had a great time and they won a blue ribbon for their wagon.

I think this will be a great learning experience for the boys and Riley has already started asking when he can sign up!

Some Challange cards

2007-10-12T08:06:00.001-05:00

I will never stop using these Best of Cluck chickens. They crack me up every time I use them! This card was for the Featured Stamper Challenge. Sweet Miss Daisy was the person to CASE and since I just love her gallery, I had a blast going thru it again and picking a card to make.

I didn't realize until I was all done and ready for the ribbon that I didn't have any black...so I guess I have no other choice than to go to Michael's this weekend!!! hehehehe.

This card was for the Inspiration Challenge. The colors are not even close to the inspiration piece, but I still love how this came out. I bought these Prima flowers at Target ages ago and just now am using them. I thought they were so pretty for Spring. I wanted to add some sparkle to the card, so I sugared the flowers by covering them with Crystal Effects and then dumping Dazzling Diamonds glitter on them. SO pretty!

Here is a close up of the flowers...

I got some new toys on Wednesday and just had to play with them immediately. I wasn't so sure about the Big on Christmas set when I first saw it, but I am SO glad I got it! Just adorable.

The wide grosgrain ribbon is fabulous! So rich and striking. I will definitely need to save my pennies and get some more!

The focal image is stamped on Shimmer White and colored with markers. I stole the brad frame idea from Trudee. I was going to do the old standard 'punch the first layer and put the brad on the blue layer' approach, but I remembered a card she did where she put the brads right on the card. Sometimes it pays to stalk the stamping royalty!

Sketch Challenge 144

2007-10-05T07:30:00.000-05:00

I needed a sympathy card, so I used the sketch for this week as a jumping off point. I am totally in love with the colors in the Fall Flowers papers, so I used those. Once I have colors and a layout decided, things usually go pretty quickly from there, so this card only took about 30 minutes!

Recipe:
Stamps: Happy Harmony, Warmest Regards
Papers: Kraft, whisper White, Really Rust, Soft Sky, Groovy Guava, Fall Flowers
Accessories: Crop-a-Dile, Taffeta ribbon, SAMJ

Big News!!!

2007-10-03T19:44:00.000-05:00

Kiki went poopy in the potty today! LOL! She went in the bathroom and I called to her and asked what she was doing. She say 'goin' poopy in ta pody!, Mama!'. Sure enough...I went in there and she was on the toilet and I heard a 'plop'! Hehehehe!

I am so proud of her. Not even 2 and a half and usin' the potty!

Good Girl, Kiki! We love you!

3 Cards

2007-10-03T07:54:00.000-05:00

I stayed up probably a little too late last night because the stamping bug hit me hard! LOL! Too bad I am paying for it this morning...those kids sure do get up early!

This is my first criss cross card. It was incredibly fun to make. Totally adorable! I hadn't pulled out Kraft card stock for a while and it gives the card a warm autumnal feel. Love the Fall Flowers printed paper... and the taffeta ribbon gives a little air of elegance!

This is a CASE of a Jenn Balcer card for Featured Stamper 34 challenge. She has a really nice gallery and it was hard to pick a favorite to copy.

I changed the colors, paper, and ribbon from her original.

Here is a card for CC134; Blue Bayou, Chocolate Chip, and River Rock. I wasn't so sure about these colors when I started, but as I got going they grew on me. I decided to pull out my sorely neglected chicken and let her see ink again. I added polka dots to the chicken and the Primas with a white gel pen to reflect the dots in the paper. I wanted her to have a elegant-country feel...an Uptown Chicken kinda thing goin' on! LOL!

Family Fun Day!!

2007-09-29T19:49:00.000-05:00

So, every-so-often, we have Family Fun Day. Just a day for all of us to go out and have a great time. Riley has been begging to go Bowling and Slayton wanted to go pick apples. I wanted to get some pumpkins (my all time favorite thing to do in the fall...). So, we headed to the orchard and picked a bushel of Honey Crisp apples and picked 3 small pumpkins. Peale and I picked up a bottle of Apple wine with Maple Syrup. YUMMY!

Then, we had lunch at Wendy's and headed over to the bowling alley. The kids had a great time.

Cheap and entertaining family fun!

Sketch Challenge 140

2007-09-29T11:13:00.000-05:00

This is my favorite card I made last night. I just absolutely adore this sketch and the card came together so easily. I was planning to use Chocolate chip grosgrain but I found this brown and ivory gingham in my stash and I really liked the unexpectedness of it.

All the panels are sponged with Creamy Caramel just because everything looked too new if it wasn't.

The jumbo eyelets are great fun. They add a great rustic touch to the layout.

Sketch Challenge 143

2007-09-29T11:08:00.001-05:00

I was showering the other day and I noticed this color combination on my Pantene bottle. I thought it would be perfect for this set.

There is lots of sparkly bling on this card! The brads were embossed with clear embossing powder and then dipped in Dazzling Diamonds glitter. The snowflake has Crystal Effects with glitter, and the stamped snowflakes panel has embossed Irridecent Ice images.

I was going to use this design for an upcoming swap, but it was a little more time consuming than I want to devote too! LOL!

Sketch Challenge 142

2007-09-29T11:03:00.001-05:00

I am finally catching up on some challenges over at SCS. This was a great layout to play with and I am sure I will use it again.

Frank was watercolored with reinkers and an aquabrush, but I decided I wanted a littel stronger color, so I went over him again with Prismacolors and OMS. It really made him pop.

The brads are actually sparkly with Martha black glitter. I just heated the brads under my heat gun, dipped them in clear embossing powder, heated them again for a second and then dipped right into the glitter. They are super cute.

ICASEd the ribbon idea from Lauraly over on SCS. I love how it looks like it is kinda floating there.

Cute little card for today

2007-09-24T20:51:00.001-05:00

I had a little bit of Mommy Time while DH watched the monsters so I threw this together! I am just lovin' this set. It is perfect for so many styles. You can dress it up and make it elegant or play up the funky Boho vibe it's got and get something totally fun. I definitely gravitate towards earthy colors when I stamp with it, I think they compliment the images nicely.

This was pretty simple to put together. I added the flower sprig at the last second. I thought it need a little sumpthin'. I couldn't find my dimentionals, so I would definitely change that if I hadn't glued it down permanently! LOL!

I am going to a SU! demo stamping day on 10/13 so I need to get busy designing 2 swaps and some cards to go into the 'To Stampin' Up!' basket. One of my coworkers, Crystal, just signed up to be a demo, so she is now my 'sister' and we are having a blast playing together and talking 'business' when we should be working. :) Anyway, we are going together and I know we are going to have a blast. I can't wait!

Paper Crafts World Card Making Day site

2007-09-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

I just got an email that Paper Crafts has used one of my cards they published on their WCMD site. I just love seeing myself on the web! LOL!

This is one of my favorite cards I ever made. I was so simple but took forever to make. I made like 5 before I had it perfect.

Click here to see the card!

Inspired by Lynn's pocketbook!

2007-09-21T22:16:00.000-05:00

This card was totally inspired by my coworker Lynne. She is a fabulous woman in her 70s and always has the best stories! Anyway, she has a Vera Bradley bag with these colors...Cranberry Crisp, Artichoke, and So Saffron. I knew I had to use those colors for a card.

When I first saw True Friend in the mini, I wasn't impressed but, as usual, the ladies over on Splitcoast started whipping out gorgeous creations and I finally saw the massive amounts of unleashed potential in the set! LOL!

I gave this card to Lynn, since I kept telling her I was going to use her purse as inspiration. I think she was surprised I actually finally did it!

Happy Birthday, Riley!!!

2007-09-05T20:30:00.000-05:00

My middle baby turned 5 today! I can't believe it. Just yesterday I was waiting to meet him and now he is a big kid who loves robots and his Gameboy!

Daddy really worked hard to make Riley's birthday special. He made Riley's favorite dinner of spaghetti and meatballs and made a strawberry birthday cake from SCRATCH! I didn't know men could do that! LOL!

Can you tell Daddy doesn't have a lot of icing experience?! LOL! I think it is just gawgeous!

A sale, plus a sale, plus a rebate!

2007-09-05T20:12:00.001-05:00

So, when I took my break from stamping (I thought I could go without it! LOL!), I gave away my Prismacolor pencils to a friend. Well, since I got stamping again, I quickly learned I NEED Prismas! So, I headed to Mike's. I had a 10% off coupon. Well, I got there and they were 25% off already and my coupon was good on sale items! Yippee!! Then, I was standing there trying to figure out which set to get (24 or 48) and I saw a rebate form for $15.00 off the set of 48! YIPPEE!! So, off I went with my new pencils, mineral spirits, stumps, and little double sided jar!

So, I made this tall crab card to celebrate my pencils. This is my first tall card and it certainly won't be my last!

2007-09-01T08:50:00.001-05:00

OK, I know...I need to make something other than Halloween cards! I just LOVE them so much!!! This guy is my all time favorite Halloween image. He just wants to find someone to love...

The image is watercolored with refills and an aquapainter. The Primas are embossed with glitter EP and have black stickles in the centers.

Alright...I promise to do a non-Halloween card tonight...if I am not asleep by 7...DH decided to have a yard sale today!

2007-08-31T06:53:00.001-05:00

Haunting Halloween was one of my very first sets out of the new catty. I just LOVE it! Even though working overtime really stinks, the one advantage is you don't have to scrounge and feel guilty when you buy yourself a few presents! LOl!

I stayed up until 1:30 am last night putting these two cards together. Just as I finished the first, the idea for the second one came to me and I had to get it down on paper.

I will add more here tonight...but I have to jump in the shower right now and go to work...:(
Please stand by! LOL!

Sweet Pea

2007-08-28T21:24:00.001-05:00

Here is just a cute little non-traditional colored baby card. I like to deviate from the pink/blue colors for new little bundle of joy.

I was really happy with how the circles in the embossing are reflected in the image and ribbon...one of those things you didn't mean, but is a happy surprise when you notice it...wait...scratch that! My creative and super detailed mind totally planned that and it was not at all an accident! LOL! ;)

Recipe:
Stamps: Event Full
Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink: Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Black Stazon, Going Gray marker
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Dots embossing folder, ribbon, dimentionals, aquapainter

2007-08-28T21:12:00.001-05:00

Here are a few cards I've been working on.

This one is for Color Combo 129 over on Splitcoast. These colors are super yummy together and I really had fun putting this together. Even though it is not a super exciting layout, I like the clean lines of it.

The flower panel is Faux Diamonds. It is always hard to photograph that and have it look good in the picture, but trust me, it is very glittery in person!

The flowers are watercolored with reinkers and an aquapainter and then a few highlights were added with markers.

This card was SO hard to get a decent picture of...and I still didn't even succeed! The colors look SO funny and off. Sigh.

The 'goop' around the main image is Crystal Effects with Dazzling Diamonds...this is NOT the look I was going for...it came out gloppy. :(

Cest La Vie!

Two quick cards for tonight

2007-08-27T22:01:00.000-05:00

OK, I think Booglie Eyes is my new official favorite set. How cute are these little guys?!? I stamped and colored the image and pondered the layout all day at work...(I hope I booked the right flights for people since I was day dreaming all day!)

I thought the little clip and the ribbon were the perfect touches for this card. Faux stitching is still one of my old standards...

This card just came out of nowhere...I wanted to make some glittery butterflies and just started playing around with images. I just bought some Martha Stuart black glitter and was trying to figure out how to use that, but I have no Heat and Stick Powder...so I stamped the buttlerflies in black and then used the SAMJ and stamped them again in Versamark and added Irr. Ice EP. They are very sparkly in person.

Crystal, one of my coworkers, has already laid claim to this card! I took it in to work today (she is a demo, too) and she loved the glitter.

I LOVE Halloween!

2007-08-25T19:17:00.000-05:00

I can't say that I love spiders, but how can you not think this little guy is just the cutest thing ever!

I used an SU! black journaling marker to color the spiders, I used it kinda like a Prismacolor pencil in that I added color to the edges of the image and then blended and moved the color with an aquapainter. I am really happy with the result. It was a more mottled color than I expected...perfect for bumpy, hairy spiders! I also used a black glitter pen and did the same thing on top of the already colored spiders just to add a little shimmer.

An Old Olive wash was a perfect spooky background. Of course, no card is complete without Primas and ribbon, so I added those, too!

I am a little sad about this card, though. I had to use a WHOLE quarter sheet of my retired Halloween paper!! ACK! lol! I think these little guys are worth it, though!

This was the first time I used my purty new Spiral punch. That sucker is AWESOME! It took me a minute to figure out exactly how the heck it worked, but after the initial 'Duh' moment, I was all set. I showed it to my DH and all he had to say was 'you bought a punch to make that edge on your paper? Don't most people cut that part off to make the paper look nice?!' Sigh. Men. I guess I'll keep him, though...he watched the kids while I stamp! :)

Alice's Shower card

2007-08-18T07:35:00.000-05:00

Kiki and I are headed to Alice's Wedding Shower today. I had to make a card (cuz what self respecting stamper buys a card for a special occasion...). Anyway, this is the perfect set for a wedding and I just love the richness of this Cuttlebug folder.

The colors are just some of my favorites. I wanted a earthy but still feminine and these colors fit the bill. Peale and I are giving them a framed print of this picture and it was wrapped in Kraft paper and a Artichoke satin bow, so I wanted it to all tie together. I hope she likes it. After I got it all framed and ready to wrap, I told Peale that I wanted to keep it and go get her a spatula set! LOL! He wouldn't let me...:( giggle.

Recipe: Cardstock: Mellow Moss, Pretty in Pink, Almost Artichoke, Regal Rose, Whisper White
Ink: same as papers
Accessories: Cuttlebug, Textile embossing folder, Irr. Ice EP, ribbon

'Very Artsy Fartsy!'

2007-08-09T19:27:00.001-05:00

Stamps: Oh, So Lovely
Cardstock: Confetti White, Mellow Moss, Vintage Violet, Marigold Morning
Ink: Mellow Moss, Vintage Violet, Marigold Morning, Black Stazon
Accessories: markers, aquapainter, moss grosgrain, dimentionals

I got the image all watercolored for this card and I was so proud that I had to show my DH. His response was ' I like it! It's very artsy-fartsy!' Men! They will never understand!

My Dream Man

2007-08-09T19:20:00.000-05:00

Stamps: Bronc Busters, Wanted
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Wanted Designer Series, Whisper White
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Really Rust
Accessories: Vintage brads, scalloped circle punch, chocolate grosgrain

I've always had a thing for cowboys, so I knew I needed this setthe minute I saw it. Must come from growing up at Rodeos and having horses. Nothing like a cowboy tush in tight jeans! :)

I made this card right before going to bed and am really happy with how it came out. These papers and images just make it so easy to make a fabulous creation.

Even working 50+ hours a week...

2007-07-18T21:32:00.000-05:00

I managed to make a card! LOL! One of my favorite co-workers is moving away and I wanted to make her a special card. I thought the sentiment in this set was perfect for the occasion.

I mounted this set and got right to work. I used the color combo in SU! catty that this set is on. I just loved the contrast between the Pomegranate and the Soft Sky. Beautiful.

I bought the swirly embossed paper at Michael's this past weekend and I am really happy about how the embossed swirls mirror the sentiment and the swirl designs in the stamps.

Of course, once I got the card done, there are a few things I would have changed...for one, I would have put the stamped layer on dimentionals so that the ribbon didn't show thru the layer...and two, I would have left off the Liquid Pearls, they made the ink bleed a tad.

Check out my Slide Show!

2007-07-14T15:25:00.001-05:00

Slayton is famous!!

2007-07-10T21:57:00.000-05:00

I went to the Close to my Heart website tonight and instantly recognized one of the photos on their main page...it was my 7 year old, Slayton! The picture was taken 2 years ago by my friend Bekki (who is a professional photographer). They must have lifted the picture from her site to use.

I'm sure they didn't ask for copyright rights, so I can't wait to her back from her...

I'm stamping again!!

2007-06-29T19:06:00.000-05:00

So, I took a few months off from stamping and I have started up again! I think the excitement from the new SU! catty was more than I could take!

Here is one of my cards I made this week. It was for a challenge on SCS. The challenge was to use scallops, so I decided to make them into photo corners. I think they came out cute.

Supplies used are:
Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, More Mustard, and Whisper White card stock; giga scallop punch; SU! markers; mustard grosgrain ribbon; vintage brads; dimentionals; paper piercing tool.

Hermies!

2007-05-12T20:25:00.000-05:00

My present to Slayton this year when he turned 7 was two hermit crabs. We went to Petco and got all the little food and a little bag of sand to put in the 1 gallon Kritter Keeper we bought. We brought them home and then I started to actually research what these little buggers needed! Well! Let me tell you! They need a lot! Humidity, deep sand, climb-y toys, extra shells, all kinds of special organic foods, salt water, etc. So, we hauled down the 29 gallon tank that we had in the attic. It has a crack in one of the corners, so it was perfect for the crabs. We have slowly upgraded the tank and now it is perfect!

I have to say, I think I like the hermies more than Slayton. I am a *tad* bit addicted. The number of hermies has now grown to 17! I have the hardest time passing by a pet store and not stopping in to see if they have any crabs...and a harder time leaving without at least one if they do!

Here is a picture of one of our medium crabs. This is Carrie. All of the crabs have King Of Queens names. Doug is our jumbo...;).

I'll post more about the hermies later. Just wanted to introduce them!

One Cute Kid!

2007-05-09T19:44:00.000-05:00

If he is nothing else, Riley is a CUTE kid! He just makes me smile (when he is not totally frustrating me!). He comes up with the sweetest things to say and ask. Last summer, he started getting the sweetest freckles across his nose! Riley looks just like his Daddy and is special because he DIDN'T get the red hair like the others! People always ask 'what happened to him?!'. Well, I think it is special that he got fine, sandy brown hair instead of red! It makes him unique...and One Cute Kid!

Page credits: Luau papers, Stamped Alpha, Jewel Brads, stitching, and Can you Point Me in the Right Direction? metal arrow all designed by Sarah Peale and available at Digi Aisle.

Is that a...

2007-05-09T19:39:00.000-05:00

So, we were driving down the road the other day and unfortunately, there was some roadkill along the way. It was a poor raccoon. So, Slayton says "Mom...is that an armadillo?!"

Now, this would probably not be funny...if we didn't live in Vermont!