Stickles 1 Beth 0

Okay, the Stickles are still drying! They win. I'm getting tired - still trying to recover from being ill the last couple of days- so this card will have to wait until tomorrow to be completed. Don't forget to read my entry following this one for a chance at blog candy! By the way, I was right there when Papertrey Ink released the scalloped punches for pre-sell. I did end up with the Mega rectangle, the Super Jumbo square and the Extra Jumbo heart. Oh, my! Take care!

Scalloped Punches

Okay, while I'm allowing the big ole wad of Stickles to dry in the center of my flowers so I can finish up today's Ways to Use It challenge on SCS, I'm trying to decide which of the scallop punches I just GOTTA have. Tonight at midnight (11 pm here in central time land), Papertrey Ink will begin taking pre-orders for ALL the Marvy Uchida Clever Lever scalloped punches. That includes our old favs such as the Giga and Mega circle, oval and square and some really neat new additions which include 2 new smaller sizes in the traditional shapes and 2 brand new shapes (a rectangle and a heart) in all 4 sizes. Decisions, decisions! I know what y'all are thinking- if we'd just been born rich instead of so darn pretty! Well, you can't have it all, and at least for me, that includes scalloped punches. I already own the Giga Square (albeit the old "you gotta stand up and put some backbone behind style), Giga Oval and Giga and Mega Circle. They have the Mega Square at my lss and I will get a 30% coupon starting tomorrow so as long at it's still there, that one is as good as sold. I have really enjoyed Nicole Heady's countdown to the punches on her blog {capture the moment} and all the great ideas for using them (the old adage that I use for my SU business- "if you show it, they will buy it" certainly rings true for me.) So as of right now, I am planning on pre-ordering the Mega Scalloped Rectangle and the Super Jumbo Square (the little postage stamp idea is to die for.) Since that comes to 30.00 and shipping is 5.50, how can I not throw in the Extra Jumbo Heart for 10.00 and make my total 40.00 thus FREE shipping! A Extra Jumbo Scalloped Heart for essentially 4.50! Just look at the money I saved! *wink!* So, which scalloped punches do you have and which ones would you like to own? Let's make this interesting and throw in a little blog candy- how about a random drawing for some ribbon and some primas for anyone that leaves a comment between now and 10 am (central time) on Saturday. If you'd like to add a neat use for one of the punches that would be fun, too. Better go check those flower centers. Take care!

Balance.....

I stay busy. In fact, I thrive on staying busy. You can ask my husband and my friends, and they will tell you I stay too busy. Like most women, I don't get enough sleep or take time for myself. But in the whirlwind of my life, I need my own sense of balance. It may not be what someone else considers balance, but as long as I feel it, I'm okay. Today, things were off balance! First, of all, I have physically not felt well. That started my day off in a bit of a funk. Secondly, Rachel was extra energetic and kept me more on my toes than usual. The clincher for the day was while I was in the bathroom, she unlocked the door leading in to the garage and her "sissy" had left the garage door open when she got her bike. I found my 3-year-old daughter across the street from our home. My heart fell to my stomach! Hubby is adding high locks to the doors tomorrow. While she was taking her nap, I decided to give the Sketch Challenge from SCS a try. Well, I couldn't get that to balance, either. I worked on this one card for the entirety of the nap and then once my husband got home- way too long to spend on 1 card! This is what I finally came up with. The PP in the bottom right corner was overpowering the upper left corner, so I made the little organdy ribbon rosette to place in that area. I could just imagine little rosettes lined-up across the little empire waistline. I'm not overly thrilled with the results but I do feel that there is balance. I think I'll go eat a piece of chocolate cake and just chill! Take care!

Little Dress Card Recipe

Stamps: jaylen's dress- Stamping Bella, Girls We Love- Technique Tuesday

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Paper: Chocolate Chip, Taken w/ Teal, Cranberry Crisp, Natural White, PP Blush- BG

Supplies: organdy ribbon, MM brads, Stampin' Pastels, blender pens, Sakura clear Stardust pen, Marvy Uchida- Paper Trimming Buddy w/ scalloped blade, oval punch, corner rounder

And the winner is....

Okay, ladies! When I said that I would announce the winner of my blog candy at 9 am CT on May 28th, I forgot that I would be working until 3 am that morning. I plan to be sound asleep when good ole 9 am roles around. So, as soon as I got home and changed from my scrubs into my pj's, I decided to tally up the results and draw for the winner. I hope this does not upset anyone. Usually, I am quite the stickler for details but I didn't think it would be fair to make everyone wait until I awoke- hubby is home due to the Memorial Day holiday and I plan on taking full advantage and catch some zzzzzz. Anyway, the blog candy goes to

Julee Tillman aka Shadowcatcher. Julee's answer to the time capsule question was:
"In my stamping time capsule would be Stardust gel pens. I just love the shimmer they give and they seem to add something to my cards that wasn't there before." I agree, Julee, I so love mine! You can see Julee's beautiful creations at Poetic Artistry . Julee, if you would please e-mail me your address so I can forward this yummy ribbon and bling to you. Thanks to each of you who have been kind enough to stop by my blog this month. I treasure each and every comment.

The words are running together and I'm making major typos so that means time for sleep. Have blessed Memorial Day! Take care!

Ode to a Stamper's Man

Working this weekend, so I'll keep this short and sweet. The ER is CRAZY being a holiday weekend. Please, please be safe this weekend. I hate to see a good time turn in to a tragedy. Ya know, if you stay home and stamp, chances are good that nothing is going to happen to you (possibly a bad case of stamper's finger-lol, but we're made of tough stuff and that wouldn't slow any of us down) so in my professional opinion that is what everyone should do-chuckle, chuckle! My dear friend, Chris, pointed me in the direction to the blog of a gal she met at Archivers. Please take a visit on over at LMac's Catered Crops to see the cutest poem about the men in the stamper's life. Again, please be safe this weekend. Take care!

Just a quick Hi!

I didn't have time to "play" today. The girls and I really needed some Mom and Me time, so we just hung around the house together and did whatever tickled our fancy (usually Mom following their lead.) I'd been feeling guilty lately about spending too much time with my scrapbooking and stamping, so slowing down today was a good thing. Balance- such a simple word but, oh so, difficult to achieve. When I get some sort of creative outlet, I'm really so much better as a mother. It's just making sure I'm not going overboard with it- ya know what I mean. One nice thing-my 9 year-old-daughter, Mary Elizabeth, loves to "play" and be creative along side of me and those times are so very special. Hopefully, Rachel, age 3, will develop a love for such things, too (she already loves to rummage through my supplies and is curiously very careful with them, otherwise "bull in a china shop," describes her.) Once the kiddies and my husband went to bed, I had to cut CS for the SU Retirement Party that my upline, Yazmin, and I are having tomorrow evening. We are offering a total of 4 make-n-takes (developed 1 card and 1 other item each.) Since several folks that read my blog will be there tomorrow evening, I don't want to show those projects and spoil their surprise. I will upload those pics tomorrow evening. Not wanting to leave you folks empty handed, I wanted to share an awesome tutorial that I found on Trudee's blog "Follow your Bliss" for tying a perfect knot each time. Although Trudee didn't record this tutorial herself, she is an extremely talented gal and if you have not before, please treat yourself to a visit on her blog. Well, so much for a quick Hi! Better run to bed. Tomorrow poses a full and exhausting day. Take care!

And the Stampin' goes on...

As I said last night (err, this morning) I needed several thank-you cards. These will be going to my wonderful friends who helped me to celebrate a milestone birthday last month, my 29th one, of course. You know 29 has been the best 11 years of my life- lol! Anyway, I didn't want to make all the cards in the same design so I decided I would make 4 of the below little bird cards and 4 of another one. Well, of course, I had to play with "little lady" from Papertrey Ink. These are truly the most excellent polymer stamps that I have ever used (and I've used several very reputable brands.) They pick up and stamp off color like no other clear stamp can do, a joyful part of the creative process! Anyway, here is the card that I made with this fun "little lady." I don't know if I've seen this layout before or not (it's hard to say what inspirational tidbits stay in the back of the old noodle) but I wanted to use my new scalloped oval punch and I thought it needed to be framed up a bit. I took a piece of 5 1/4 x 4" Brocade Blue CS and ran it through the Cuttlebug with a brass template. I wanted it to have a light Swiss dotted look. Next, I cut an oval out of the center using my Coluzzle. I know a lot of folks that think the Coluzzle is difficult to use but I love this tool for cutting out all kinds of shapes. It was the first shape cutter I ever had and I keep returning to it regardless of the new releases. It's very easy to transport, shapes can be cut from anywhere on the page, and the shape selection is huge. Once you get the hang of it (it's key to make sure the blade is straight up and down while cutting,) it's actually pretty easy to use. Anyway, after cutting the oval out of the center of this Brocade Blue panel, I cut the piece down the middle and trimmed off 1/4" from each inner side. Again, I'm no Beate when it comes to explaining things but I think the finished product will, hopefully, display what I'm talking about. So here is what I accomplished last night. Just gotta hand write a personal note in each and off they go. Hope the recipients like them! Well, I have a 9-year-old who needs help with math, so I'd better run. Take care!

Lady Bug Oval card recipe

Stamps: little lady- Papertrey Ink.

Ink: Really Red, Basic Black, Versamark

Paper: Brocade Blue, Certainly Celery, Whisper White, PP- Carolee's

Supplies: Celery narrow organdy ribbon, Button- SEI, black embossing powder, embosing heat tool, scalloped oval punch, Coluzzle, Cuttlebug, Brass Template- Dreamcatcher designs

Today's Sketch Challenge turned production line

I've been a stampin' fool this afternoon and evening. I had a pretty good sized list of "cards to make" and was getting antsy to get them done. Now while stampin' is never a chore for me, finding the time to do so certainly can be a task! The Sketch Challenge today on SCS gave me the opportunity to finally use this fun little bird stamp and complete a few thank-you cards that I needed. We were challenged to concentrate on a small stamped image and given the specific measurements of 1 1/4 x 3 1/2. This little stamp fit the bill perfectly. Now, I know how I've mentioned that I'm lovin' the birds these days but these little guys were a little more cutesy than I have been using (going more for a quirky look.) I didn't want them to look like 3 boring little birds stamped on a piece of CS and stuck in the center on another piece of CS. Hopefully, I have succeeded in giving them a little bit of individuality. In order to add definition to the panel I stamped 3 Stitched Circles images from Hero Arts (found on sale at a LSS- gotta love it)! The ribbon in May Arts and I used it all for these 4 cards so I've gotta get some more! I've been noticing as I'm perusing other blogs that many of you wonderful stampin' gals use the card recipe format at the end of your entry to share the supplies used to make your cards. I like the organized, neat look of that so I'm going to give it a try myself. Don't forget to leave comments to earn chances for blog candy. The drawing is less than 1 week away. Take care!

Bird Thank-you Card recipe

Stamps: Birds- Inkadinkadoo, Stitched Circles- Hero Arts, SU's Much Appreciated

Ink_ Basic Black, Buckaroo Blue, More Mustard

Paper- Whisper White, Paperloft's Flipflops

Supplies- Ribbon- May Arts, Eyelets-MM, Crop-a-dile, blender pens

Technique- Stamp pads with blender pens to color in birds

Having a Good Time for 1 month!!!

May 27th marks the one month anniversary of "A Stampin' Good Time." I sure appreciate each of you who have stopped by for a visit (some of whom have honored me with some really sweet comments)! In celebration of my 1 month in blogdom, I am offering a random drawing for some really scrumptious blog candy- crushed velvet ribbon from Maya Roads in 6 yummy colors, 2 dotted organdy ribbons from May Arts, and some bling from K & Co. How do you get the chance to partake....? Well, anyone that has left a comment during this first month (from 4/27- 5/27) will automatically find their name in the pot, one entry for each comment. Participating with the scenario in this entry counts as 2 entries. So read on for a little blogging fun: I got to questioning the other day, will any generation think of my hobby (passion/obsession) as "the ancient art of rubber stamping," will they say "what were they thinking?" The question I pose to each of you: If we were to make a stamping time capsule to be opened in the 22nd century, what 1 item would you include that would be indicative as to what you are doing right now. It can include supplies, tools, projects, technique- the skies the limit. Now let's not get technical, we are to assume that, yes, it would remain sealed and, yes, someone would open it. No, you could not sneak back to reclaim you circle scalloped punch! The drawing will take place on May 28th at 9am. Again, thanks for the fun this first month. Hopefully, this is only the start of Good Times to come. Take care!

Beate's May 17th Sketch Challenge

My PapertreyInc ordered arrived on Friday and I have been so wanting to break it out! Finally, Saturday evening my darling husband went with our oldest daughter and his friend to see a double feature. Once I put the little one down to bed, I was on my own for several fun-filled creatin' hours! I mainly worked on my layout for the Once Upon a Scrapbook (lss) design team but I got a little stuck on my title so I shifted gears and decided to give Beate's challenge another go. Of course, I HAD to use my new goodies! First, I punched out a piece of Whisper White CS with my scalloped circle punch and stamped the large head/body image from the "little lady" set in Chocolate Chip. Her wings (I'm assuming it's a "her") were stamped on Whisper White CS with Regal Rose then over stamped with the head/body stamp in Chocolate Chip to give her spots. I, then, cut out her wings, covered them with Crystal Effects and set them aside to dry. To get the swell line from this sketch, I cut the PP (Imaginisce- Let's Pretend) and the Only Orange CS with my hobby knife using a flexible ruler ( mine came from the drafting isle of Hobby Lobby and was a clearance item for 2.50- you gotta love a bargain- but they are normally 5-6.00 if purchased as a drafting tool as opposed to a scrapbooking tool. Of course, mine is blue instead of a nifty pink but you can't have it all.) To add definition to the PP/CS boundary I added a piece of Karen Foster's Scrapper's Floss in pink. Next, I hand doodled on the curved Only Orange with a Chocolate Chip Stampin' Marker. The ribbon is SU Turquoise and the brads are Earth Elements. I finished by giving my lady bug some "buzz" and added my sentiment. Once "little lady's" wings were dry, I bent them just a bit and added them to her little nakie body with Stampin' Dimensionals. I had so much fun making this little card AND was inspired to be able to finish my title on the first layout. What a bonus! We'll sounds like Rachel is in the bathroom unattended so I have to run. Take care!

A Blast of a Birthday Card

This weekend has been CRAZY. A Friday night crop, a Technique Club meeting Saturday afternoon and I find out last minute that my husband has invited over a family friend. Ordinarily, company would be no big deal, but this particular friend had recently celebrated his 40th birthday and since we had not seen him recently, his birthday card had been on the back burner. Like my husband, he is an aerospace engineer so I thought the Explore set from Stepping Stones designs was just the ticket. I ordered it on-line from Cornish Heritage Farms because I'm always in need of something with a space theme. The stripped paper is from Carolee's Collection and the CS is Night of Navy, So Saffron, Bravo Burgundy, and Naturals White from SU. The outline of the rocket was stamped with Night Of Navy classic ink then colored in with Stampin' Markers in Brocade Blue, Only Orange and Ruby Red. A clear Sakura Glaze pen was added on top of the rocket to give it a shiny look. The sentiment is stamped on twill tape and matted on Bravo Burgundy CS then attached with Antiqued Brass brads from HHH. A neat little side note- I use my BG magnetic cutting board to do any matting, laying or stamping on ribbons. The little magnets hold the ribbon taut and make it very easy to work with. The planets were stamped in Night of Navy and Bravo Burgundy then cut out and attached along the curved cut of the PP. My design was inspired by the sketch from Beate's blog on May 17th. Take care!

Birthday Lady for today's Way to Use It challenge

Hello! With my one month anniversary approaching, I am getting together Blog Candy for a giveaway! I hope to have a photo for these neat surprises up and running by this weekend. How do you win? It's simple, each comment that I have received during this first month of blogdom will go "in the hat" for a random drawing, ie. the more comments you have made the better your chances are of winning! Okay, yesterday I promised more information on the fiber paper that I used on the challenge card. The paper is made by Shizen Design . If you get a chance, take a look at their other beautiful papers. They can be purchased in large sheets, something like 22 x 30 or you can get a sampler pack with a variety of smaller pieces. Mary Elizabeth is going to a birthday party this afternoon and today's Way to Use It Challenge to make a card using a small stamped image was perfect for a 9-year-old girl's card. I stamped the little ladybug from the SAB set Very Punny onto Whisper White CS, taking care to mask away the sentiment that goes along with it. I colored the image with a Rose Red marker and highlighted the dots with a black Gelly Roll Glaze pen. Next, I got out my trusty Coluzzle and cut out the lady bug image using the 3rd circle template from the center. The scalloped flower that surrounds the ladybug is a piece of Apricot Appeal CS that I cut into a "doughnut" shape using the 3rd and 5th from the center circles of the Coluzzle template. Taking my Slit punch into the inside of the "doughnut," I,then, punched slits all around the outside. Now the fun part, I ran a pieces of 4 x 5 1/4 Cool Caribbean (boy, am I going to miss that color), Rose Red, and Apricot Appeal CS through my Cuttlebug to emboss them with the little circle flowers. The stamped image and Apricot flower were adhered to the embossed Cool Caribbean. Using the 3/4" circle punch, I cut out embossed flowers from the Rose Red and Apricot Appeal and placed them randomly on the Cool Caribbean CS, taking care to line up the same embossed images . I added a piece of ribbon from Happy Trails by K & Co., my sentiment from Hip Hip Hooray, and attached the whole thing to a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 piece of Rose Red CS. A very simple card but I liked using the bright colors for this young girl's card. If you haven't tried the challenges on SCS , it is a great way to get your creativity flowing. That's all for now! Take care!

Back Up and Operating

Yea!!! One new photo card and reader later and I'm back in bloggin' business! First, of all I have to say that Roxie out did herself today with the SCS Card Sketch Challenge. All the cards that are loaded onto the gallery are so great, each one unique and beautiful in its own way! I've made one card and can't wait to use this sketch again!!! My challenge entry takes on a very different turn for me, it involved very little stamping. As I mentioned before, Dianne and I went to a Stamping function last night (okay, I must admit it was a CTMH open house given by my friend and CTMH demonstrator, Shannon. No need to worry, I'm still a die hard SU gal! I do dabble with polymer stamps but I actually prefer rubba. Heck, it just smells better)! Anyway, it happened to be in Murfreesboro, TN which is about 1 1/2 hour drive for us. If I'm going to drive 1 1/2 hours anywhere, I'm going to check out a LSS. Boy, did we find a treat, a candy treat that is. Paper Candy was like entering the Candyland of scrapbooking. It was not quite as large as our LSSs but they had some different items. I had been coveting the new BG Magnetic Precision Mat but did not want to pay the S & H for it figuring that eventually it would make its way down to Huntsville, AL. They had 1 left and, of course, I snagged that up right away. I have been playing with this mat today and I wonder how I've lived without it. The metal edged ruler is magnetic and there are several smaller magnets included, as well. I feel like I've grown an extra set of hands when I am doing precision cutting! Another exciting find was a line of handmade papers (I must apologize because I do not remember the maker of these papers but I will call the store in the morning to find out and share the info. with you.) An example, of these beautiful papers is on my challenge card. Using my new cutting mat, I cut the 2 triangles out of my gorgeous new handmade paper (can you see the sparkle in the flower centers?). Then, again, with my new cutting mat, I matted the homemade paper with SU Brushed Silver CS. I adhered the triangles, points facing the center, onto a 4 x 5 1/4" piece of Cool Caribbean that I embossed with my Cuttlebug. Next, I took a piece of teal ribbon and layered a piece of SU Apple Green on top then embellished the ribbon with Heidi Swap Jewels. The ribbon combo was then wrapped around the Cool Caribbean CS which was then layered on Taken with Teal. Finally, I tied it all together with a flower made by layering a Petaloo sheer green flower, a Bazzille brown flower and centered it with a Amy Butler brad from K & Co. The greeting is simply the word "Happy" from the SAB set So Very which I matted with SU Brushed Silver CS (did I mention that I used my NEW cutting board?). I had such a fun time with this card and hope to use this sketch again real soon! Take care!

Road Trip

Okay, I am continuing to have difficulties downloading my pics. I left Dan "large and in charge" of the girls tonight and headed about 1 1/2 hours north with my dear friend Dianne (to a stampin' function, no less.) While Dan is a great father and can pretty much take care of any of the girls needs/wants, he admittedly does not have the "multi-tasking" gene that women have and didn't get around to fixing the computer. So to keep up my momentum, I am entering a project I did a while back. I apologize to my friends that have seen this before, but I know you guys love me anyway! The inspiration for this little accordion book was the SU contest a few months ago for the category of using the envelope templates. I originally planned to mail this in and selected some pictures of the kids that weren't all that great BUT once I cropped them and placed them on the little pages, I couldn't part with their photos! The accordion is made with the Mini Envelope Template (the template that measures 2" x 3") cut out of Sarah DSP then I connected the flap of 1 envelope with the bottom of the next one, alternating sides back and forth (sorry, wish I could do a tutorial like Beate.) Next I just decorated the little book using more Sarah DSP, Brocade Blue, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Whisper White, and Vellum CS. The ink colors are Brocade Blue, Certainly Celery and So Saffron and the stamp sets are Be Happy, Riveting, Reason to Smile and EFP. I accessorized with narrow organdy ribbon in white and celery, grosgrain in celery, and french blue, Ribbon Originals from Prep School, Antique Brass HHH, Fresh Favs II buttons, linen thread, white gel pen, and various punches, mat pack and paper piercer. The box is BE by Creative Imagination and the whole exterior of the box is covered with Modge Podge except the 3-d flowers (flower center is Dazzling Diamonds.) There are even "pages" inside the envelopes for more embellishments and pictures. You do have to watch when embellishing the pages inside the envelopes so they are not so bulky the book won't fold closed. This book was great fun to make and I get great joy looking at the pictures of my girls. Keep your fingers crossed for me regarding my computer. Take care!

Technical Difficulties

Okay, a computer genius I'm not but I can usually download my pics from the camera. Today, I cannot! I have my addition to yesterday's TLC challenge to make warm-up cards and it is so cute with its 3 x 3 self that I'd love to share it (little things just are cute)! Well, I just got my supplies for the layout for the Once Upon a Scrapbook design team so I guess I'll go work on that. Of course, I, also, just got my copy of Creating Keepsakes "Organizational Tips for Scrapbookers. I can see myself putting Rachie down for her nap and enjoying that at my leisure.....Take care and I'll be back with pics once Dan can figure out the computers problem (I love my computer geek)!

Beate's Challenge

A perfect ending to a perfect Mother's Day... I had some time to myself to finish up the card that I made for Beate's Fresh & Fun Challenge. Couldn't have asked for a better Mother's Day! It started off by getting to "sleep in." I worked Saturday night 'til almost 2 am so sleeping until 10:30 was pure decadence! Mary Elizabeth had made my breakfast, consisting of a bowl of Lucky Charms (Rachel was scarfing up my marshmallows as I entered the room), a glass of milk and a cinnamon roll. She had drawn me a placemat and picked flowers for a pretty glass vase. What a sweet girl! Next, I received sweet cards from both Dan and the girls. They told me about my Mother's Day Gift- an ink caddy from Storage Unit's Ink. Apparently, those folks are pretty busy and it may be a few weeks before it arrives. Just some fun anticipation that should be good for me! Maybe my craft/homeschool room will be completed by the time it gets here! It was time to lunch so we headed for Applebee's (not my first choice BUT the girls love it and it is EASY with them.) After Applebee's we went back home and I got to take a NAP!!!!! When I, Queen for the Day, arose we headed to Target for fun family time looking around, then stopped on the way home for a carry-out supper. Yes, it was a special day! As far as Beate's challenge goes, I needed to kill a few birds with 1 stone. Not only did I need a challenge card but I needed a new baby boy card and a card using the Palette O Prints paper. So here it is. I absolutely loved the sketch that Beate shared with us! The colors were inspired by, yet again, Ribbon Originals Sweet Shop ribbon. That ribbon set goes so well with most of the POP colors. I used Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Apricot Appeal and Almost Amethyst CS. The Whisper White border was created by first cutting the strip of CS then giving it a scalloped edge with the SU corner rounder. Afterwards, I ran in through my Cuttlebug to emboss the circles. I, then, used a pad to paper technique with Versamark, followed by Stampin' Pastels and sponge daubers to add a bit of coordinating color to some of the circles. I ran into a bit of a problem with the chalks wanting to smear when handled. I tried using an acyclic sealer but they continued to smudge. Finally, I ended up using clear embossing powder to set the pastels. I would have preferred a softer, matte look and next time I will probably try 2 coats of the acrylic sealer. I had not used the Loads of Love set in such a long time but thought it would make an appropriate boy card. I often forget about this set but on the rare occasion that I do use it, everyone seems to really like it. To add to the "baby" theme I used the bottles from A New Little Someone and used the Mask Technique so that it could be hauled in the bed of the truck. My sentiment was Warm Words "welcome" embossed with white embossing powder and to finish it off, (with the only non-SU product on the card) I added a little MM safety pin. This sketch if so versatile, I will definitely us it again! Well, back to stamping. Take care!

Blog Candy!!

Be on the look out! I'm planning a goody-filled surprise for my 1 month anniversary.

So What is a Name...

Worked last night and was feeling creative when I got home at 2am so I started on my card for Beate's Fresh & Fun Freebies challenge. I didn't quite get finished before I had to call it a night(morning) and I'm hoping to finish it up after work tonight. Since I don't have anything brand spankin' new to share I looked through my pics and decided to share with you a name frame that I case'd from the Art Show section of April's Stampin' Success. I have created original name frames myself but I thought this particular one was perfect for my husband's nephew's new baby girl, Sydney. She is being Christened on the 26th of this month and unfortunately we are unable to attend, so although is not a traditional gift for such an occasion, I think they will like it. Dan's family is always so great to appreciate my homemade gifts! The project uses Naturals White, Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Cameo Coral, and Apricot Appeal CS. The classics inks are Bashful Blue, Cameo Coral, Apricot Appeal, and Chocolate Chip. The stamp sets are Warm Words, Whimsical Alphabet Lowercase, and Simply Said. I used apricot ribbon, blue gingham ribbon, Antique Brass HHH, and Earth Element and Soft Subtle brads. The frame is a 5 x 7 from Hobby Lobby. I am always on the look out for great frames and with their frequent 50% off deals, HL is a good place to look. I hope Miss Sydney enjoys this gift from Great-Aunt Beth (I promise I'm not as old as that seems)! Take care!

Cat Nap

Slept a little to long today so I'm off to rush to get ready for work. I'm kicking myself for signing up for 3 shifts in a row. I really shouldn't complain, they are only 6 hours each and I work so seldomly, not like most of the crew I work with. I can't wait to get home and see what my rubbah creates!

The World According to Rachel

When I went to download the pics for this card, I found that SOMEONE had been using the camera. It was like the world from the perspective of a 3-year-old, a very active 3-year-old. Most people before they meet Rachel think, "What child of 3 isn't active?" Well, Rachel truely takes the prize. Once folks meet her and see her go full force every waking second they always agree. Now, she is extremely affectionate but ya get your lovin' on the run! Anyway, she adores "looking" at Mommy's stamping and scrapbooking supplies (who can blame her) and my wood mounted stamps become her building blocks, so I figure she was hanging out in the craft/homeschool/computer room and she decided to see how the camera worked. The night before last I saw this Hero Arts set, Decorative Birds used on a card. I began looking on-line for them and found them on several sights but I controlled my impulses and was rewarded when they had them (plus Bird with Long Legs) at my LSS (The Rubber Stamp Lady.) Have I mentioned that I am really in to birds right now and anything to do with nature that takes on a quirky, whimsical look is just my style! Well, these birdies were just waiting to be a part of my own creation! The card base is Whisper White (I'm trying to get comfortable with "white space") and the base of the birdies is Sahara Sand (such an awesome neutral.) I used Chatterbox PP and Not Quite Navy ink. The ribbon is SU's navy and the little pearl brad is SEI. The "sun" and the corner swirls are from Quickutz "Sunshine" font and the sentiment is from Bird Notes by Crafy Secrets. I truly had fun making this card and using these HAPPY little birds. I work this evening in the Emergency Room so it's time for me to take a nap. Better say "take care!"

My Challenges

Okay, my challenges this morning include Mary Elizabeth (age 9), our resident drama queen, declares we have "nothing" to eat and how can she possible do her schoolwork when she is starving, Rachel (age 3) wants to "help" Mommy in every way (notice the Whisper White peaking out from behind my card front and she is currently "helping" me put on an earring while I'm typing), and finally, today's Sketch Challenge from SCS. When I started on this card, I had every intention of using my Palette O Prints so that I would have something to display at workshops, the technique club meeting and our May 19th stamp camp. As you can see, POP is nowhere to be seen. The PP made things too busy and just did not work. I'm still not sure what I think of this card but it is startin' to grow on me. If you click on the title of this entry you will see the tutorial from SCS by Beate Johns for making the glitter windows. Not only does Beate make beautiful stamping projects, she writes the most awesome tutorials and I am truly thankful to have access to her talent! All products for the card are SU and include the stamp sets Doodle That and Warm Words. I used Whisper White, Almost Amethyst, Apricot Appeal, and Certainly Celery CS and Basic Black and Old Olive ink. The doodled flowers are colored in with some of my Many Marvelous Markers (I love to color, almost as much as I love to cut things out- yes, I probably need therapy!) And I got to break out my new Ribbon Originals in Sweetshop, as well! The scallops I made with my corner rounder- yet, again, another tutorial from Beate! Well, I hear one of my most precious little challenges trying to climb over the gate to the kitchen. Better run. Take care!

Shane's Wish

On a whim, today I checked out the Color Challenge on SCS. I've never participated in a challenge but had admired the work of some really talented stampers (artist, if you will) that had stemmed from the daily Challenges. Today's Color Challenge took on a different hue (yes, pun intended.) A young boy named Shane had a wish. Well, that's really interesting, right? What 7-year-old doesn't have at least 1 wish (usually dozens.) Shane lives in a very special and difficult situation. He has lymphoblastic leukemina; a type of cancer that involves months and months of treatment. Shane was diagnosed at age 5 and he will be turning 8 on May 30th. That means this will be his 3rd birthday he has celebrated while undergoing cancer treatment. His one wish is to break the world's record for the most birthday cards received (some 350 million.) How could I turn my back at that challenge?!? The colors we were to use were Cool Caribbean, Marigold Morning, and Taken with Teal- a great young boy combo if ever there was one! I have always loved using Hip Hip Hooray for kids cards and a plaid (I'm mad for plaid) piece of PP from MME's Magnolia collection tied the colors together beautifully. It's really a very straight forward card that I added a bit of Naturals White and Chocolate Chip to make the colors "pop." All supplies are SU except the mega circle scalloped punch and I used my new Gelly Roll clear Stardust pen (which I love, love, love) to accent the Chocolate Chip ink on the cupcake frosting. A word about the Stardust pen- Ellen Hutson (http://www.ellenhutson.com/) sends a handstamped, personally signed thank-you with each of her orders. I noticed a beautiful shimmer to the image and e-mailed her to find out what she used. Not only did she point me in the direction of the Stardust pen (found at her e-store) but she reiterated that customer service is NOT a thing of the past! Not only is she a very talented designer but seems like a super sweet gal! If you visit her e-store and her blog you will not be disappointed! Now, back to Shane's wish, if you click on the title of this post it will direct you to the Shane's Wish website to give you the address if you too would like to participate in this worthy cause. Well, I'd better wrap it up with a "take care." It's after 11pm CST, and I think I hear furniture moving in Rachel's (age 3) bedroom. I'd better go check this out. Until later.....

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Hello, All! Yes, it has been way too long since the last entry but I have a multitude of excuses. Friday my Girl Scout troop took an overnight visit to the zoo in Nashville, TN. What a wonderful experience for all! Besides a scavenger hunt, crafts and educational activities the girls (and grown-ups) got to touch a corn snake, a hissing cockroach (I passed), and chinchilla, and a terrapin named Emily. The next morning we practically had the zoo to ourselves for the hour before opening and even got to see the Bengal tigers fed! I hope this is an activity the girls will remember for a very long time. Afterwards, once my charges were on the road back to 'bama, my daughter and her friend went along with me to CKC- Nashville. We had a super time. It didn't seem as crowded as last year which made it much easier to keep up with the girls. They really got in to the make-and-takes, creating a 2 page glittery layout, a miniature altered clipboard and a mini Disney album to name a few. The folks at the Scrap Daddy booth were demo.ing Xyron products and my daughter, Mary Elizabeth, fell in love with the Design Runner. The reps. at the booth were super nice. They knew that I already owned a Personal Cutting System and a Xyron 510 and was not in the market for a new product yet they allowed my daughter to "play" with the Design Runner everytime we passed their booth (and did it with a good nature.) By the time 3:30 rolled around we were tired and HUNGRY! I had already promised the girls that we would eat at the Rainforest Cafe in Oprymills so off we went. We got seating super quick and had a wonderful time. Watching my daughter have such a good time made my trip! In honor of our zoo trip, I have posted a picture of a card we did at the last technique club. The theme was Spectacular Spectrums and I used the sets Wild About You and Bodacious Bouquets to give the card a tropical jungle fill while using the Joseph's Coat Technique. A Pumpkin Patch Spectrum pad was used, along with Basic Black, Ruby Red, More Mustard, Old Olive and Real Rust. Cardstock was Cool Carribbean, Whisper White and Glossy White. Hope you enjoy the tutorial from SCS! Just click on the title for this post to be on your way to a fun new technique. Take care!

Just Around the Corner

It dawned on me last night that Mother's Day is 1 week from this Sunday. Time certainly flies! I participated in a Mother's Day swap last month and received many great ideas for cards. This is the card that I contributed to that swap. I used one of my current favorite stamp sets, You Make Me Happy, from the Spring Mini catalog along with the BG stamp Canvas. The ink colors are Real Red, Bashful Blue, More Mustard, and Old Olive. The cardstock is Whisper White, Real Red and Bashful Blue (I love how the Real Red contrasts with the Bashful Blue for a clean look.) To accessorize my card I used Stampin' Dimensionals to make the flower center "pop" and just a touch of blue gingham ribbon (love, love, love ribbon.) The cute scalloped edge was a lot easier to make than to describe in words. A wonderfully talent lady by the name of Beate Johns has a pictured tutorial on her blog http://beate.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com using the corner rounder punch (I used the slot punch but it is the same concept.) I check out Beate's blog almost daily for inspiration and ideas.

Hope you enjoy and have a wonderful day!

Saying Goodbye to Dear Friends

When I woke up Tuesday morning, I was on the run! I had my second and final day of ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) ahead of me and I knew that SU had released the retiring list from the '06-07 Idea Book and Catalog and I wanted to get it out to my stampin' friends ASAP. So I logged on to the SU website, downloaded the list and sent off a quick e-mail prior to jumpin' in the shower and beginning my day. ACLS went well and we finished up before noon. Since I had childcare for the rest of the day, I decided to take full advantage of it. Let me tell you, I made the rounds- RSL, Hobby Lobby, Michael's (to feed my new Cuttlebug habit, sorry Martha my heart belongs to someone else), and finally, to OUAS. While I was at OUAS, Delores shared with me the good news that I had been selected for their first ever Design Team. I am so looking forward to creating new layouts with new products to display at the shop! Anyway, I headed home and decide to take a NAP (yeah)! When my darling husband comes home, he surprises me with dinner out (just the 2 of us, thank-goodness for grandparents coming to visit)! We ate dinner at Terranova's and while my manicotti was delish, all I can say is Godiva Chocolate Creme Brulee (nothing more needs to be said.) We ran a couple of errands and returned home to watch a dvd. It was about midnight and I am ready to hop into bed, when I realized- I had NOT looked at the retiring list myself. Well, you know what I had to do.... I couldn't believe it! There were hardly any stamp sets left. Now while I am pumped about new stamp sets coming July 1 (I have no doubt they will be marvelous), I will be sorry to see some of the sets go. It will be like saying good-bye to dear friends! In honor of this, I have chosen to share with you a layout of a pic that was taken the day before my friend Chris and her family moved to Austin. My youngest daughter, Rachel is in the porch swing with Chris' son, Jack. And what better way to tie it all together, the layout is made using the Simply Scrappin' Kit, Friends and Flowers. This is a hostess only set that I have really enjoyed which will be leaving us very soon. Take care to all!