Thursday, November 29, 2007

A Beautiful Mind

Have any of you seen that movie, "A Beautiful Mind"? Do these pictures remind you of it?
My almost 5 year old was not really excited about learning his numbers and letters a year and a half ago. Smart mommy that I am, I decided to take him out back and have him write on the fence (kind of like a huge chalkboard). Now he is completely obsessed with writing numbers . He will do this for HOURS on end. We take turns writing numbers and we circle around and around the fence in the backyard---when that gets filled up---we write on the patio, the iron table, the playset, the slides---you name it. Our backyard literally looks like someone threw up numbers all over it.

It is a bit sick if you ask me but it sure beats playing power rangers.


Here is a quick card I did for the My Favorite Things sketch on Splitcoaststampers. I loved the sketch this week and was determined to get this one in!


All stamps are from My Favorite Things (http://www.mftstamps.com/). The image is stamped and colored. I used blue stickles on the star and blue and red stickles in the tree. I put a layer of clear glitter over the shadow under the penguins. The image is framed with a nestability scalloped rectangle. The sentiment is stamped and I used the scalloped punch from Stampin' Up! to frame it and I added a bit of ribbon. The cool wavy pattern is a template from Creative Memories.
The snowflakes on the decorative paper are outlined with the Ultimate Gel Pen- so in real life this really shimmers. I added the ribbon ties and brads to finish this up.
Materials used: Stamps-My Favorite Things (Winter Blast, Home for the Holidays); cardstock- bayau, white, blue sky, Basic Grey dp; ink-brilliance black; Copic Markers; Stickles--red, blue, gold; Ultimate Gel Pen-Metallic; brads (SU!); ribbon (SU!); Nestabilities; SU! Scallop punch; Creative Memories curvy template.
Thanks for checking in!
If you haven't done so, make sure you check out my previous post for some cool blog candy!

Blog Candy Time!

The winner of the set is #101: Karen Glandney who wrote "I really enjoy your blog and I get so much for the projects that you make. I don't think that there is anything that comes to my mind that I would like to see besides the beautiful creations that you post here all the time.Have a great weekend :-)

"Want this? "Time Well Spent" is a future level III hostess set that Stampin' Up! sent to all it's demonstrators. How very sweet. Unfortunately, with so many stamps and so little time, I won't have much of an opportunity to use it. So I figured I would pass it along to one of you!!! Find out how you can win it below.



I want to thank you for your sweet comments and emails regarding my family dinner post. I assure you--we continue with the "family meal" for one reason and one reason only---because I do not want a psychologist telling any of my children in ten years that the root of all his/her problems is because we never ate as a family.

So tonight I am giving you my favorite de-stressing technique for handling such difficult days:

1. Decorate bottle=makes me happy!

2. Pull out a wine glass and drink liquid in bottle=makes me forget what made me stressed out in the first place.

3. Ahhhhh!




Note: This post is for humor purposes ONLY. I am not condoning drinking alcoholic beverages nor am I admitting to consuming them myself (hiccup!)

Materials used: wine bottle; Stamps-Gina K Designs (Punchy Words, Festive labels); waterproof labels (available at Gina K. Designs (http://www.ginakdesigns.com/); ink-olive, cranberry, gold, brown; sponge; cardstock-olive, vanilla.
To win this blog candy---just leave a comment on this thread and let me know what you would like to see on this blog. I am just curious what you all like to see and what makes you come back for more (tutorials, cards, altered items, scrapbook pages, articles on how to raise your family, etc!) Be sure to number your entries!!
Here is the bonus, if you are a subscriber, feel free to post twice. If you are not a subscriber, feel free to subscribe and then post twice. Random.Cara will pick the lucky winner on Sunday. Why Sunday?--because there is more blog candy fun coming right after this one!
Have a great day!

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Sketchy Christmas

The sketch challenge on SplitcoastStampers (http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/) is one of my favorite challenges. I try to play when I can--it is really difficult because there are the daily challenges on there and so many other challenges or sketches on wonderful blogs that I read---but there is just not enough time in the day to do them all. I have recently stopped doing the blog challenges for that reason. I really love the idea of them---I just don't want to hurt any one's feelings if I do one and not another...kwim? Does anyone else feel this way?

Well, today I DID do the sketch challenge (thanks Rox!) and this was my card:


The stamps are all from My Favorite Things (Home for the Holidays) set. (http://www.mftstamps.com/) I used all the cute little stamps in the set to create a cute holiday fireplace (used three stockings for my three kiddos!)
I used basic grey figgy pudding to create the layout. Gold stickles are added to the candle flames and the fire (even though you cannot see them in the picture.) I also added red stickles to the berries in the garland.

The main image panel was distressed and sponged with caramel and cocoa ink. I distressed other parts of the card even though it doesn't show up real well. The ribbon is from May Arts and I used a piece of gold cord to tie on the sentiment.

Materials: Stamps-My Favorite Things; cardstock-burgandy, white, basic grey figgy pudding; ink-black, cranberry, burgandy; stickles-red, gold; brads (Stampin' Up!); gold cord (SU!); Copic markers; ribbon (May Arts)
Thanks for stopping by. I will be announcing new blog candy very soon---subscribe so I can add your name TWICE to the drawing!!!

Have a great day!

Dinner at My House

I cooked tonight. Yes, this is a major event. I do not often cook since it is often just my children and I and they don’t really like anything so that is usually what they get—anything I can throw together in ten minutes or less.

But tonight I cooked chicken and rice because my daugther loves it and it has been awhile since I made it.

Cara (11.5), Benjamin (almost 5) and Lauren (2.5) are the lights of my life--except at dinner time. Cara eats at lightning speed and wants to be excused. Ben talks the ENTIRE time without eating much and waits until bedtime to be “starving.” Lauren picks at her food usually seeing which foods she can squish before she makes some kind of sculpture with it.

We sit down to dinner and immediately my son spills his drink…no biggie—this happens a lot.

After cleaning up the spill we say our prayers which consisted of “Thank you God for the turkey.” (Don’t ask…no, we didn’t have turkey but my son has been very grateful for turkey since Thanksgiving. In fact, my son’s class put paper turkeys on their classroom door and the teachers wrote on it what each child was thankful for…children wrote “my mom and dad,” “my dog,” “my sisters,” and Ben’s said “Turkey.”) I am so proud.

We try not to laugh (makes it worse) and just say “Amen.”

Immediately afterwords the conversation is as follows:

Mom: Did everyone have a good day at school?

Lauren nods her head and smiles.

Ben: Remember in the movie (Ratattoulie) she says, ‘You cannot be mommy and sticks the knife in his shirt?' (demonstrating with his fork)

Cara: What continent is Denmark in ?

(A flying pea thrown by Lauren hits my husband in the head)

Lauren laughs.

Dad: Lauren, do NOT throw your food.

Lauren puts her head on her highchair tray and cries.

Ben: Don’t I look like PaPa? (smearing the chicken and rice on his chin like a beard)

Dad: Lauren, do you want to go to your room?

Cara: I have to burp…that is weird, I usually only have to burp after soda

Mom: Caaarrraaa….that is enough. Say excuse me.

Lauren resumes throwing her food off the tray.

Dad: Ben, don’t put food on your face.

Mom: Lauren, do not throw your food. Are you finished?

Cara: I am finished. Can I go to my room?

Dad: Nope you have to do the dishes and earn your allowance. You are getting old enough to do more things around here and if you want a cell phone when you are 12, you have to show us you are mature enough to handle it.

Ben: My school is cool…we get to play outside and there is a window on it.

Cara: So where is Denmark?

Lauren: (now sitting on my lap looking at my Elmo placemat) Elmo blue (she is a bit slow on her colors!)

Mom: Cara do the dishes please.

Ben: …and sometimes when we play outside Sara chases us and we pretend we are the bad guys.

Dinner is over.

I am wondering how I managed to eat with all that commotion.

I am wondering if we are the only family who eats this way.

I am wondering where Denmark is….

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

A Birthday Card

Thanks for all of your emails and comments on my last post. I am trying to figure out how to create a page to list my successes and I will keep you updated in the blog of my "unsuccesses."

I will have you all know....another call came and went and I was not selected for publication. I had submitted two cards and neither one was picked up by this call...sob! It was really not surprising since I have NEVER had a card picked up by this publication so I think I would fall over in my Cheerios if I ever did get picked up by them!

I think my style is not trendy or scrappy enough for them----but that is the point. There is another publication I do some work for that loves my style---so you definitely win some and you lose some. And, btw, some of the most fantastic stampers I know have never been picked up for publication. You would fall over in YOUR Cheerios if I told you who but it just goes to show you--it is what the publication is looking for at the time, if the design is reproducible and if it is something different that determines if it gets selected. It has nothing to do with the quality of work (although that has to be good too!)

Not matter what--just keep plugging along--and have FUN, cause that is the point, right?

Ok...my baby sister's birthday is this Friday so I had to make her a card. Right now, we live very far away from each other so I wanted to express that in this card.


All stamps on this card are from Starving Artistamps (http://www.starvingartistamps.com/). They are from the line of stamps called Artful Inkables. Doncha just love this little duck? (I seem to be on a little duck kick right now!)

I used my nestability dies to create a round scalloped frame for the image because I wanted to do something different to draw focus to it. I like the way it turned out--gotta keep playing with this idea. I used my gel pen to add some dots around the frame and my stickles to add sparkle to the water. Copics and Prismacolor pencils were used to color the main image and I sponged the sky in soft sky. The ribbon is from May Arts and just pulls the colors in the card together. The top of the card has word window punches that attach over the fold. It looks like one of my easel cards---but it isn't--fooled ya! The punches are there strictly for decorative purposes. The sentiment was stamped and I used my nestability dies to create a brown frame.

Hope you like it! Happy Birthday Baby Clare (heeheee...she is the last of 8 children and hence the name "baby clare"!)
BTW--If any of you know Mary Duffek...let her know she won the blog candy. Don't worry for those of you who didn't win---there is plenty more "fun stuffs" coming this week! Subscribe now so you don't miss all the fun!!!

Blog Candy Winner

Just wanted to pop in to let you all know that Random.cara picked #95 as the winner of the MFT stamp set and tag!

Congratulations to Mary Duffek!!! Please email me your snail mail address so I can get these out to you!

Thanks to EVERYONE for playing along. (I am stunned that there were so many comments on that blog entry!)

Keep checking in---another blog candy contest coming...very soon!!!

Monday, November 26, 2007

Mostly a Failure

A simple little card that I just love using stamps from SmARTworks (http://www.smartrubber.com/)

Here is my story: I have been trying to set up this blog since I started it on a whim a week ago. One of the items I have been going back and forth on whether or not to include is a resume (or list of publications/contests/etc.) as many bloggers do. On the positive side, this allows readers to find their favorite stamp artists in publications. It also allows the blogger to share in their successes (one undoubtedly she worked very hard for!) On the negative side, I wonder if it makes a person seem like she always succeeds when, in reality, most people have experienced many many rejections before they experience one success.

So, then I thought---hmmmm...maybe I should list all of my failed attempts at being published (I guarantee you that list is much longer) or the design team I tried out for and didn't make the final cut. Maybe this would let everyone know that every person has failures no matter what is written on their resume. So remember that when you put someone on a pedestal--they are human--they probably have just worked right through all the rejections until they received success!

Here is one of my rejection stories: In the summer, I "tried out" for a design team (the first one I ever applied to be on!) To my surprise, I was selected as a finalist based on my gallery and some questions I was asked. I was elated, I was excited, I was...in Pennsylvania visiting family for seven weeks!!! Bummer...but so what....I had my stamps sent to me there and designed the assigned number of cards and sent them in and waited for the news. Nope...didn't make the cut. The design team I am referring to was SmARTworks. Susan Trask is the owner of the stamp company which has fabulous stamps and a very talented team of designers. I, of course, was disappointed to not have been selected but I did not let that stop be from refining by skills and trying again.

Susan was so sweet and gave each of us some stamps to play with as a thank you for participating. The above card features my selections! Cute, ugh? You can check out their other adorable stamps and the design team's gallery at http://www.smartrubber.com/.

So what do YOU think???? Should I be the first to display a list of failures?

I will post the blog candy winner tomorrow. I checked out Random.org and couldn't figure it out so I am going to use Random.Cara (my 11 year old dd)!Lucky for MOST of you I am using that daughter instead of my two-year old who really just favors the numbers 2 and 3!

Have a great day everyone!

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Another Monday Challenge

Hello everyone! Hope you had a fantastic weekend. I am dragging a bit from mine!

Tonight I have a card I whipped together for my monday challenge group on Splitcoaststampers. This week the challenge was one we received by mail from my friend, Charlene. Charlene sent us two squares of double sided designer paper, a thank you charm, a polkadotted button, three punched stars and some ribbon....our challenge was to create a pocket card using all of the items. (We had a choice of using the button or the punched stars in case any of you challenge police analyze this!)

The final part of the challenge was to send it to one of the ladies on SCS that hosts the daily challenges or creates tutorials. My card is going to Beate Johns, who has created I have no idea how many tutorials on that site. Thank you, Beate, for all of the inspiration and creations you provide for so many of us! You are truly an inspiration!




I created this super easy pocket card--easy, because there is very little stamping. I was so perplexed about what to do with all of these patterns on this paper so--I really focused on the paper for the design. After creating the pocket, I used the patterned paper to cover it and I cut one of the flowers out of the flower pattern and I stitched the thank you charm to it and adhered it to the front of the pocket. I used my SU tab punch to create the tab for the pull out card and I stitched the button (reverse side up because the polkadots were freaking me out a bit with all the other patterns going on!). I think I managed to make it all work but it was a challenge for me for sure!


Materials used: sentiment (SU!) Warmest Regards; SU! tab punch; button; thread; ribbon (SU!); thank you charm; cardstock (night of navy, whisper white, patterned dp); ink (going gray); corner rounder punch (Creative Memories)

All this on very little sleep as my two littlest ones slept in between my husband and I at my inlaws this weekend..makes for a great night sleep!
Have a great monday!

REMINDER: I am drawing the number for the first blog candy monday night at midnight. You have one more day to post to that entry to be eligible to win!

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Thanksgiving Story, Update, and a Card

Reminder: You have a few more days to post on the blog candy thread---I will be picking the winner on Monday night (or Tuesday morning if I don't stay up till midnight!) Good luck!

Today was a crazy day full of twists and turns but ending up the same way every Thanksgiving does---me being so very thankful to God for all the blessings he has bestowed upon me and my family. I am so blessed to have three (strong willed) and healthy children, a loving husband and wonderful families in Pennsylvania and Houston who love us (and miss us!)

As some of you know, this thanksgiving my husband had to work. Not a big deal as we are traveling to his parents on the weekend to have our official thanksgiving so I figured it would just be a nice low-key day. I was planning on just making Macaroni & Cheese for dinner (gasp!) because that is all the kids want to eat anyway. But last night (feeling a twinge of mother-guilt) I ran out (with the rest of Texas!) and bought a precooked turkey breast, some mashed potatoes and veggies for dinner. (I am a good mommy!)

We were all set to have our lazy day of putting up the Christmas tree, movies and moms fake "home-cooked" meal when my husband called from the hospital and said they were having a luncheon for the staff who had to work and for the soldiers families that were stuck in the hospital over the holiday.

Hmmmm....we also had an ulterior motive for going as well. As some of you may remember, my son had fallen down over a week ago and cut his hand. Earlier this week we noticed a lump and some swelling. This would be the perfect opportunity to excise that whatever in his hand. Here is the picture of what his palm looked like a few days ago:


So we got to the hospital and decided to do the "ugly little deed" before heading down to lunch. We took my son into another room where my job was to lay across him and keep him from watching the needles or the small knife. In no time flat, my husband had him numb and managed to make a tiny tiny cut----and when he did...he felt a scraping sound--yep....Ben had a piece of glass stuck in his palm. hmmmm....Didn't mom diagnose that a few days ago? Moms know best. Thanks to everyone who has asked about him. He did so well....Yeah, he screamed his head off at first but after it was done he was so happy (and relieved!) that he was the sweetest boy for the rest of the day.

We all headed down to lunch together. Ben was cradling his newly bandaged hand. As we walked down the hallway past soldiers who lost limbs in Iraq and had burns and other serious injuries....the irony of my son cradling his hand was evident to me and to my husband. But to my son----he had a major injury too. Just made us even more thankful for all we have as a family and as a country.

We had a great lunch and then headed home for the day. Tonight I managed to burn the turkey breast (just a bit)...figured it would be OK to stick it in at 450 degrees with the scalloped potatoes. FYI--Not a good idea! The meal's saving grace was a loaf of pumpkin bread a neighbor dropped off for us....we pretty much ate that for dinner.

I actually did manage to get a stamping project done this evening--just because I had this idea and it was killing me to see how it turned out. I wanted to use a design I created awhile ago that I loved but I thought it would be beautiful with a monogram. This card is a vertical gate-fold with a belly band. I love how the monogram slides off!

The design of this is so simple. Cut 8.5 by 11 piece of cardstock lengthwise at 4.25 inches. Fold the two small ends toward each other so they meet in the middle. The belly band is a piece of cardstock that meets in the middle. Whatever you choose to decorate the band with hides the seam of the band. I chose a monogram letter for this card's band and I used my nestabilities to create the scalloped and circle mats for the stamped image. This card is standard size and is very simple to create.

For this example I used my new Papertrey Ink stamps: Spiral Bouquet, Ambassador Monogram and Borders & Corners Monogram sets. I think these three new releases work so well together and I am having so much fun playing with them.



The inside view: I used the same pattern that I stamped on the front and also carried over the scalloped edge design. I wanted keep the inside very simple so there would be ample space to write a note.

Hope you all had a wonderful day! I am so thankful for all of you! Tomorrow is one week of blogging for me and I have already hit 1000 views. I am so shocked!!!
Thanks so much for making me a part of your day. I will be celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend with my in laws so I won't be posting for a few days...but I will be back (with more blog candy to share!)

Hugs!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Pocket Tutorial

Note: When I was working on this project today, I realized I didn't have any candy to use for the inside of the pocket. (Gasp!) So, I stole some hershey's kisses from a cute photo mug I got for my husband last Christmas. It has our kids on it and says "I love you, daddy!" This mug has been in the exact same place he put it last year...so I figured he wouldn't miss the hersheys kisses that were inside. Being a chocoholic, I tasted one of these hershey's kisses---and ya know, they weren't bad. It was a win win situation. I got some candy to use for this pocket AND my husband will love the mug that he will be getting for Christmas AGAIN--think he will notice???

Reminder: Don't forget to post a comment on my blog candy entry to be entered into the contest to win the new mini set from My Favorite Things stamps and a new gift tag!

Ok...Here is a project I just love. I am putting a tutorial on here (my first!) because the folding of this does not seem to make sense just typing it out but when it is shown...you can see how easy this is. I learned this fold about a year ago from a Stampin' Up! brochure I received. It has been one of my favorites for birthday party favors, treat bags or even for gift cards. Hope you like it too!







Start with an 8.5 by 8.5 peice of cardstock. I used red on this one! (Just in case anyone is colorblind!)




Fold the bottom corner up to reach the top corner and use your bone folder to crease.



Then take the right corner and fold it diagonally to a tiny bit above the halfway point of the left side of the triangle. Crease with bone folder.




Then do the same with the left corner (just make sure you fold it to the right this time!) Crease with bone folder.



Then fold the top flap down and crease with bone folder. You can secure this front flap down with a brad through the center or with adhesive or with a band like I did.




Decorate as you like--you can even do a hidden sentiment like it did that will be discovered when the recipient takes the gift card or treat out. The possibilities are endless for this.



See above for the finished decorated version!

Materials used: Stamps by Gina K. Designs; Cardstock-red, olive, white; Rub on circle by Daisy ds; Ink: black brilliance ink; eyelets; snowflake punch (Martha Stewart); red scrappers floss; white button; brad; rectangle nestability die; bone folder; Markers; ziplock bag; hershey's kisses.



Happy Thanksgiving everyone!


Thanks for stopping by!


Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Not a 10 Minute Card



First, I want to remind everyone to check out the post before this one to register for my first blog candy! Should be pretty good odds of winning since I think 6 people actually read this thing!!! lol!

Today, I wanted to post a card that didn't take 10 minutes since I recently posted a quick card. Every once and awhile, I get this idea to create a very detailed scene. So many sets at My Favorite Things stamps allow you to do just that (www.mftstamps.com) That is definitely one reason I love using them.

I had created a similar card for my Guest designer gallery on Jen del Muro's blog last month. You have to check out her blog to see it as she has exclusive rights to it for 6 months.

I wanted to do a similar scene but I changed a lot of things. First of all I wanted to make it a Christmas Card. One of my favorite parts of this card is that I took scrap rubber and created a "brick" stamp and used this to create the exterior walls of the restaurant. I used three colors: burgandy, cranberry and red to create the walls and used Dull Ivory Copic marker to fill in the grout between the bricks.

The Ladies from the set "Meet Me At the Cafe" were stamped and colored. I cut a peice of transparency for the window and then created the window frame to lay over top. Before adhering the frame to the transparency, i wove some dark hemp around the window frame...later I added punched leaves all over it that I colored with copic markers.

This card is an easel style design that i created a few months ago. I used my word window punch to create the tabs at the top that connect the front and back panels of the card. I think this is such a neat look and I use it often (probably too often for some!)

The sentiment is stamped and added to the bottom with a word window punch behind it. I used Stampin' Up's wrought iron corner punch to create the scrolling corners of this card. Finally, I look one of the stamps from Gina K Designs new set called "Punchy Words" that has the leaves around it and stamped it and cut out the center. I thought it made a neat wreath so i colored it in and added red stickles for the berries and also a tiny bow for the top.

I hope you like this--it was so much fun to make. Don't forget to enter to win the fun blog candy on the previous post.

Also, more blog candy in the works--ya know that new appreciation set from Stampin Up! that everyone is using--called "Time Well Spent?"--well, coming soon is your chance to win this future third level hostess set! Woohoo!!!


Thanks for stopping by!

Blog Candy Time


It is the 20th of the month and you know what that is: Celebrate My Favorite Things Day! Play along on SCS (http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/) upload your MFT creations and use the keyword MFTNOV07.
This tag/gift card holder features the new mini set from My Favorite Things called "Baby It's Cold Outside." The mini will be available on December 5 at http://www.mftstamps.com/ but the tags are in the store now. Run, don't walk---get them before they sell out. These tags are the greatest. It is made of hard something or other (chipboard?) and it has an embedded magnet so it stays shut! They are so easy to dress up and create the presentation for an otherwise boring gift card.
Edit: Oopsie...I forgot to put the matching envelope in the photo. Duh! These tags have coordinating envelopes for the perfect presentation. Sorry I forgot to put it in the photo!!!


So...you want win this new mini set and a tag? All you have to do is post a comment on THIS post by Monday, November 26--midnight (central time). One post per person and please add your post number to your comment. I will post the winner (selected by Random.org) on Tuesday. Good luck!
Special thanks to Kim from My Favorite Things for graciously donating the blog candy! You rock, Kim!
Just wanted to pop in to let you all know that Random.cara picked #95 as the winner of the MFT stamp set and tag!Congratulations to Mary Duffek!!! Please email me your snail mail address so I can get these out to you!

Materials: tag (MFT); stamps: My Favorite Things: Baby It's Cold Outside, Home for the Holidays (inside sentiment); ribbon, Cardstock: white, red, Ink: red, brillance black, soft sky; Stickles: Crystal, Icicle; Liquid Applique; Prima flowers; sparkle brad; corner punch; white gel pen; Copic markers.

Blast from the Past--Scrapbooking


I was so excited to see these scrapbooking challenges on SCS this past week so I had to try a few.
I created this page using my new Papertrey stamps: Spiral Bouquet, Borders & Corners Monogram edition and Ambassador Monogram. http://www.papertreyink.com/.
This page is for Lisa's challenge: to create a page using NO designer paper. In other words, make your own.
It also is for Nichole's challenge: to make your own embellishments.


I used spiral bouquet to white emboss the flowers on the celery cardstock (it IS celery--why is green so hard to photograph?). Embellishments created for this project include Lauren's monogram L on the photograph, the page title, the images I stamped and placed under the page pebbles (lower right corner), and the flower in the left corner.
I love the design of the page---The peek a boo journaling box allows me to hide my handwriting (I understand why it is nice to use it, but I still don't like the look of it.) This is the perfect solution!


Materials used: Cardstock: Pretty in pink, olive, celery. Ink: olive, pretty in pink, celery. White embossing powder, heat tool, versamark, page pebbles, Nestability dies, ribbon, circle punch, slit punch, pen!
Check back tomorrow for my fun blog candy!!
Night all!

Monday, November 19, 2007

A 10 Minute Card--Gasp

Removed for Publication

All I have to say before I give you the details on this project is that I have changed my mind--If anyone wants to report me to social services regarding my son's injury--I am ok with that. I think that a week in the slammer might be easier than a week at home with all three children off from school!!! Yipes!





Happy Thanksgiving week----ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!



This is a card that I did because I had the idea in my head to try to recreate an antique frame. This week's featured stamper is Shelly (Papermoon) on Splitcoaststampers (http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/). She has such an elegant style--so I thought I would try my hand at an elegant card. Check out her gallery if you haven't seen her work--you will love it!




This card literally takes about 10 minutes to make. (Took me a bit longer but that is all part of the designing phase!)





Materials used: Garden Silhouettes (SU!), MFT (sentiment), Choc chip cardstock, gold cardstock, vanilla cardstock, cuttlebug and textile folder, Nestability die, choc chip classic stamp pad, Gold zigpainty pen, brayer, choc chip ink, hardware




Cut choc chip cardstock for cardbase (it is standard size--4.25 by 5.5). Cut gold mat for the base. Run it through the cuttlebug with the textile folder. Then, using a brayer, spread choc chip ink over the embossed sheet. After the ink drys, layer the rectangle nestability die over peice (centering it). Then you have the frame. All you have to do now it stamp the main image in close to cocoa and run choc chip along the edges. Add gold highlights in the center. Stamp sentiment and adhere to card using hardware. Add brads and assemble card.



Very easy. Very not Carolyn but I likey! I will have a not so simple card I am working on to show you soon!

And remember, tomorrow I announce my first blog candy!!!!


Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, November 18, 2007

It's a Challenge


Ok....here is the card I did for a challenge I have with a few friends. Here is the deal--a few months ago, my friend Tosh emailed me to see if I wanted to be part of a little group. The idea is that we would have challenges we would do on mondays and one week a month a member of the group would email out a package to the others with a special assignment.
This week the challenge was to use Certainly Celery, Pale Plum and Eggplant to make a card--the catch--to make it a winter or Christmas themed card. Had I known this challenge was coming-I would have said no right off the bat!!!
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
Sorry...I hate it when that happens.
Clean up on aisle 9!
Back to the card. Hmmm...I used the colors specified but didn't have any pale plum on hand (what a pity!) and I wasn't about to go out and purchase a pack for one card...so i improvised with that color.
I created a tag card. It is tag shaped but it is actually a card. It measures 3 by 5.5. The image is from Inkadinkadoo and the sentiment is from Gina K Designs.
I used my cuttlebug snow folder to create the background white layers. I used a snowflake punch (Martha Stewart) to bring the Eggplant color into the design a bit more---I mean, it is normal to see Eggplant snow, right?
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Ekk..sorry!
Anyway. I threaded my celery ribbon (the green saved me on this one!) through a peice of hardware and then match the silver to the brads going through the snowflakes and the eyelet on top. Finally, I added to icicle stickles to the hat and scarf of the snowman.
Ok..there it is....gotta go clean up this mess!
Tosh...I love ya...and it is not just because you are turning 40! (gasp!) on tuesday!

Winter Memories and Blog Candy Info

Thank you so much for all the emails, comments, etc. I have received since I started blogging. What a sweet welcome! You are the best!

I have a lot of things planned for this blog and I cannot wait to share it with you. Bear with me on these initial days...

I made this card today because I have been neglecting this Figgy Pudding paper (gasp!) I have hardly used any of it because I definitely am a hoarder of paper...not a user. I am trying to change that a bit!

These stamps are from Gina K Designs (http://www.ginakdesigns.com/). The adorable snow scene is from a set called "Got Snow?" I just love it...reminds me of winters in Pennsylvania (which i miss so much!)

The image was stamped and colored and i cut all around the edges of it (left the ground intact). I created a frame for it using my Nestability dies. After assembling the card (that is a big AFTER) I used liquid applique to make the snow on the ground and I dotted little specks of it all around to mimic falling snow. Cute and easy touch.

I am working on a challenge that I do with my friends on mondays. All I can say is that this week---it is a REAL challenge. I will post it later on so you can vomit...hopefully I am joking about this but I cannot guarantee anything at this point!

Ok....about my first blog candy---I will be posting how you can win a set of stamps by My Favorite Things and another fun "surprise" on tuesday. So make sure you check back to see how you can win it!

Update on my son: Yep...he has a "pustule" in his hand. My dh is going to bring home the lydocane and scapel on tuesday so we can get out whatever is making his palm swell. Poor thing. I am gonna have to sit on him for this one...I will be warning the neighbors. (Oh, I guess I should mention that my dh is a physician so that no one calls social services on me!!! lol!)

Card recipe: Gina K designs "Got Snow?" and sentiment, ribbon (source unknown), black brads, nestability dies, liquid applique, copic markers, cardstock (real red, ww, olive, basic grey).

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Some Starving Artistamps Cards

I was recently added to the design team for Starving Artistamps (http://www.starvingartistamps.com/) and I wanted to share some of my recent designs I did for them.




The top one is a card featuring Artful Inkables (a line distributed by Starving Artistamps). I love this elephant--what a sweet way to let someone know you are thinking of them.
I framed the elephant using my nestability dies. The sentiment is stamped in black ink and attached with two black brads. The background is a stamp from Artful Inkables as well. I just inked it up in caramel ink and stamped it on river rock cardstock.

I added the black strip and the gingham ribbon behind the main image for fun!


This card features the frog, cattails, leaf and the no swimming sign from the Artful Inkables line. This card is pretty straightforward, I stamped and colored the image with my copic markers and prismacolor pencils. I love coloring with both but find that my prismas work better for me on water and sky details so I use them a lot together. I added the blue stickles to the water to make it shine. Again, I used my nestability dies to create the frames for the image.

The background is caramel cardstock and I stamped the leaf image repeatedly in chocolate ink. The sentiment is attaced with a velvet brad (oh, ahhhh!) Love the texture this and the velvet ribbon add to this card.
I wanted to add another on this post but I cannot figure out how to get the pictures the way I want them...sigh! Still learning.
On a fun note....I am going to have a blog candy contest very soon! Stay tuned!

"The Worstist Day"

Uggg…my son has a foreign object in his hand.

Bad.

Worse…because it is my son (the biggest 46 lb-almost-5-year-old baby you ever met. I call him “junior” for good reason---my husband is the same way—just weighs a bit more! Shhh…my husband just thinks he is called that because they look exactly alike!)

Anyway, we went out to dinner last Sunday and on the way my very sweet, but not always intelligent, son was walking along the edge of the sidewalk and looked back at us to say something and ….
SPLAT!

He fell right off the sidewalk—which is not a big deal in itself but when we peeled him off the ground his hand was bleeding..a lot. Waterworks start….the child is shreiking (and I mean loud) so bad we had to get him into the car just to buffer the noise.

Turns out there were little rocks and glass pieces on the ground and he landed directly on one. For either of our other children, this would not have been a big deal but because it was Ben….it was the end of the world.

Finally we got the bleeding (and crying controlled). All of the blood came from one little spot….there was a little hole but we managed to wash it off and get a bandaid on it. Whew!

In his words “It was the worstist day ever.”

Since then, he has coddled his hand…refusing to do anything with it. Today, when I took another look at it—not red but there is a little lump right below the cut. Ughhh…

My husband is the physician but when it comes to injury on the homefront, I am often the one to take charge (unless it has anything to do with barf---I hate barf!)

My usual go-to treatment is to just slap some Neosporin on anything open, anything that itches, or anything that just doesn’t look right. It works….that stuff helps fight infection that may be lurking, helps in healing and provides just enough mental medicine so the kids know that their injuries were addressed.

Ben was treated with “mom’s medicine” several times this week, so I am not too worried. I am just hoping that it is a blood pocket and not a rock or piece of glass because if it is something that has to come out….I assure you—you will hear him screaming no matter where you live.

I am a good mommy, I am a good mommy. If I repeat this enough, even I start to believe it.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Wow! Honorable Mention



I am floored. I just received an email from Nichole Heady of Papertrey Ink (www.papertreyink.com) that my submission for her monthly Gueststar Stamper contest received honorable mention!
I am so excited..I love Nichole's stamps...the are classic and beautiful. I didn't have too much time to play with her set called Peice of Cake but managed to get this in.
It is a real shock because last month I was featured as her Gueststar Stamper. Naturally I assumed it was a major stroke of good luck.

This is a gift bag that I purchased at my local craft store for .25! I altered the front using the flowers from the set and added the little twinkle stickers to the middle of them. The sentiment was stamped (it is actually in two peices to make stamping the different fonts in different colors very easy!!! Genius!)

But the best part of this bag....is the tag. The peice of cake was stamped on a folded peice of cardstock. After stamping the two colors, I cut around the cake to form the little tag. I added little stickers to the center of the small flowers too. Then, I finished up the bag by adding the braided hemp handle and the flower embellishment. Easy, cute and cheap!
I am so excited!!! Sorry for the extra post but I had to share...stuff like this doesn't happen every day!!


Playful Penguins


What fun little penguins. These little guys are from a My Favorite Things set called "Winter Blast" and I just love this set! Even though I am on MFT design team, I didn't have this set (hey, Kim!!) but my dear friend, Cindy, got it for me! Thanks Cindy and Kim! I LOVE it.

I wanted to do this card because it is the beginning of the holiday season this week. I am from a HUGE family (6 sisters and one brother) and they are all in my home state of Pennsylvania. I, however, am way down in Texas (my dh is in the army)...no snow...no family. It is always a bit sad at Thanksgiving time to be so far away but at least we always try to get home for Christmas.

This year Thanksgiving will consist of a turkey (ya know those little ones you can buy at the supermarket?), a tub of country crock potatoes and a can of cranberries. I might even throw some rolls in! My husband is on call so it will just be me and the kiddos. I might try to hook up with my friend whose husband is away too. But, don't feel bad...it is just that I hate to cook...and the only thing worse than cooking a big meal is cooking a big meal for little people who won't eat anything but mac n cheese and hotdogs. We are going to have Thanksgiving on Saturday with my dh's parents...so that will be enough!

All the elements on this card are from Winter Blast. The center image is cut and framed using my nestability dies (I love these--what an easy way to create beautiful borders and frames!) I added silver eyelets to the sides to thread the ribbon through and added a bit of silver cord on the one side. The other penguins are stamped and cut out and added to the sentiments, which are mounted on red cardstock that is punched using my word window punch (Stampin' Up!)

The snowflakes are accented with a muse twinkle stickers (love em!) and I used (christmas red and icicle) stickles to highlight the star and ice and to add decorations to the tree. What a fun scene--definitely makes you cold looking at it!

Thanks for looking!

Why Blog?

I recently asked this question on a stamping site I belong to (recently meaning today!) and I was really moved by all the insights I received as to why so many people blog.

I have been on the fence for awhile but I decided that what the heck? I was just going to start--stamping is such a big part of my life right now that I think this will be a fun way to chronicle my journey.

I plan on having lots of fun giveaways (love those!) and other fun things to make you WANT to come back for more. Oh...yeah--and I will try my best to make sure I give you lots of eye candy too!

Thanks so much for stopping by---if you don't want to miss a post, make sure you add me to your feed (on the right!) so you can get email updates!

Thanks friends....let the journey begin!

Welcome to my blog

Removed for Publication


Well, this is my first post on this blog...I have no idea what I am doing yet but hopefully this process will become a lot easier with time.


I wanted to post this card first because it was my favorite card I made this week. The stamps are by My Favorite Things and the set is called By the Seashore. Since the beach is one of my favoritest places, I really wanted to capture that peaceful feeling in a card. I used my creative memories cutting system to create the opening of the card. A circle punch was used to punch the sun out of yellow cs and i edged it with with mustard ink. All the cute details are stamps that are included in the set...soo adorable! You will love playing with these as much as I do.

The backgrounds are stamped with Stampin' Up! flannel plaid and weathered backgrounds. The waves are just peices of cardstock that are ripped to give the feel of crashing waves...I edged each one with white craft ink. Finally, I added the hemp tie across the front to finish off the card.


Hope you like it!

Bear with me on this blogging thing...I will learn eventually.