My Favorite Thank you

Life has been so crazy for me lately. I just haven't had the time for much stampin' let alone posting stuff, so thanks for stickin' with me, I promise that I will get back into the swing of things.......just as soon as I get back from the beach house this weekend!

Anyway, I made this card last week sometime, while in my "simple" mode. I think that this is my most favorite 'Thank You' stamp. I just love the font....if only my handwriting were so lovely!

On another note, I had card swap last night with my girls, it was great times had by all.....we haven't gotten together in a while....we need to make it more regular! Perhaps I'll get a chance to post every one's cards a little later on....or tomorrow!

TCP Tuesday - A simple thank you

Oh, my....so I made this card a few days ago for TCP Tuesday, and just realized I forgot to post it and link it....oh no! The deadline is tonight at midnight......and it's not midnight here, yet.... so I'll give it a whirl!

I absolutely LOVE the font of these words by Ali Edwards! I saw a card done with them this past week, and it truly inspired me to use them....(Thanks Kelley!). So here's my card, pretty basic and simple. It seems like I go through phases where all my cards get really intricate and crazy and complicated, and then I just say 'enough' and go the simple route for a bit. Then I go back to complicated. I guess when I made this card, my stamping pendulum was swinging a bit on the simple side!

KW Color Inspiration #53

Hey all! Just realized I haven't posted in a few. Life get busy when the sun comes out in Seattle! I'll try to keep it short here, I was soooooo excited to have another one of my cards chosen as one of Kristina's top picks for CI #52! A shout out to Kristina, thanks girl; it's so exciting to be inspired, and get my 'work' out there!

As for this color challenge, it wasn't too difficult for me, but I don't know how well I am in love with the card I made. This was the second card I did, which I like better than the first one, but hey, it's all relative, right?

And I think for once, I can actually say, that with the exception of the little bits of bling in the centers of the flowers, everything you see here is Stampin' UP! Yay for me! The DSP is 'Pink Flamingo', the flower stamps are from Fabulous Flowers, I also used Label Classics, and Amazing to Zany, I believe. I'm too tired and lazy right now to go over and check!

Hope y'all have a great Holiday Weekend! Hopefully I'll get some time out of the sun to do some stampin'!

May Key Ingredients Challenge

Well there's nothin' like positive reinforcement, right? I was so excited the other day when my May Key ingredients arrived, to find a little somethin' somethin' in there with a note from Taylor, that I was the random winner from last month's challenge! So exciting, I must say!

So here I am submitting to the challenge once again. I do have to say, though, that this card did not turn out as I had planned. I've had this layout idea in my head for a few weeks, but when I put it to paper, it just didn't live up to my expectations. Oh well, it does the job!

All supplies are from the Taylored Expressions May Key Ingredients Kit, apart from the Stamps and Ink, which are Stampin' UP! I bought this stamp set ages ago, and I think this was the first time it saw ink.......

Another Cupcake Challenge!

So I know I haven't posted in a few days....are y'all still with me? But in defense of myself, I did post 2 cards late Saturday/early Sunday.

Here's the card I did for Taylor's Friday Cupcake Challenge #68. I used one of my newer cupcake stamps....I just love this one, and my new Peony Nesties....love those too! The PP is from October Afternoon, which I purchased to cover a card storage box with...if I ever get around to that, I'll definately post some pics. The flowers are prima, the ribbon is Baja Satin, current SU, and the little bling on the cupcake flowers are yet again, those wonderful Twinkles from who else? Taylored Expressions!

And just to toot my own horn for a minute, I was the winner (random, I think) of Taylored Expressions April Key Ingredients Kit Challenge, with this entry, and was so excited to get my prize in the mail yesterday! Thanks, Taylor!

New Moon Countdown Official Poster

Sunday Sketch with a lot of layers!

Well I just finished my card for Kristina's Color Inspiration #52, and just as I was about to call it quits for the night, and head up for bed, I saw that Karen put out her Sweet Sunday Sketch #18, and well, you know me, I just couldn't resist, although I won't think too keenly about it when the kiddos wake me up in the mornin'!

So here is my card for her sketch challenge. Now that I'm sittin' back looking at it, perhaps I should have waited until tomorrow.....there are a lot of layers, and a lot of dots and a lot of embossing....perhaps too much? But I guess that's what happens when you attempt to start a card after 1 am. LOL!

Anyway, this was the first time I used this stamp that I picked up a couple of weeks ago while on my cupcake fetish. I think it's adorable, and since I've been LOVIN' those Twinkles from Taylored Expressions, I used them for the middle of all the flowers! I also used my peony nestabilities for the first time as well.....so many virgin items playing into this card! The patterned paper is from October Afternoon, and everything else is Stampin' UP!

KW Color Inspiration #52: This one was tough!

Well, I had yet to have one of Kristina's Color Inspirations stump me....until now. For some reason, this one was really hard for me. I think maybe because there were no dark, really bold colors to use, which I like and am used to using. So this one really took me out of my comfort zone. I had to really stretch myself to do this card. But I think that from a creative standpoint, it's good for the soul....not all the time, but on occasion!

So, with that said, here is my card for Kristina's CI #52. Its been so much fun playing along these past few months, and I have even made it into her top ten once, with this card which was probably my most exciting moment since I've been posting cards and such! Right up there with the births of my 3 boys! LOL! But really, it was an honor and humbling moment for me, considering all of you out there who create submissions that completely dazzle and blow me away! I'm just floored to be squeezing myself in amongst all this amazing creativity.

Okay, can we say sidetracked?

The details of my card are as follows: The colors are listed above, the baja background was embossed using my Swiss dots cuttlebug folder. I also used my SU "Top Note" die for both the sand as well as the Mustard DSP, which was out of a little 6 x 6 hostess pack of paper, I believe.

The bird, stamped in Baja, is this little crazy stamp that I saw out of the corner of my eye one night while at Michael's....I think it's the first time I ever bought a stamp from there. The saffron leaves, which are also Swiss Dot embossed, are from a REALLY retired hostess set from a few moons ago, and I was so excited to find coordinating buttons in my Big 'Ol Bag 'O Buttons.....I cleaned out the scrap store of their pail of assorted buttons a while back, and they have really come in handy let me tell you. The Baja satin ribbon is current SU, and those little Twinkles on the Bird, and on the 'W' of Wonderful, are from Taylored Expressions. I just realized there are a lot of circles and dots goin' on here.....but I think it works! Thanks for takin' a peek!

Sketchy Thursday with Bird Flair!

Okay, so I don't have much to say today! Can y'all believe that? I don't know where today went, and it doesn't look like the next couple of days are going to slow down either.

Here's the card I did for Tracy's Thursday Sketch Challenge. The card didn't turn out quite as cool as I pictured it in my mind, but I like it anyway.

The patterned paper is Basic Grey "Urban Prairie". I picked up this obscure bird stamp at Michaels....I don't know that I have ever bought a stamp there until now....I was walking down the aisle, and I saw it out of the corner of my eye and the rest is history! The flower is prima, and I used my cuttlebug swiss dots on the soft sky cs. Besides that I used some whisper white paper, chocolate chip, and that yummy chocolate chip ribbon....it's such basic ribbon, but I love it!

Mary's Brag Book

So I bought some of these little mini board books at the scrap store the other week. I decided to make one for Dylan's kindergarten teacher who's youngest daughter is about 15 months old. She has pictures of her up all around her desk in her classroom, so I thought that she might like a cute little book to have! I hope she likes it!

Here is how it turned out! The PP is Basic Grey's Urban Prairie. I love this paper collection. I spelled out Mary's name on the front using some alphabet stickers from Basic Grey. Threw some buttons on the cover, and added some retired ribbon that I had that matched. On the inside pages, I added some SU rub-ons.

Sorry about all the pics in this post....but I wanted y'all to see all the different papers!

The 2nd, or original attempt at KW's color inspiration

So I originally wrote this post a couple of days ago....meant to
post it, but just didn't get around to it, so I just wanted to preface it because it might seem a little out of order since in this post I'm talking about card challenges that I still want to do, that I posted yesterday. So with that said, here's the original post!:

Okay, I don't know if I've just run out of juice, or what! All I have wanted to do since last Friday is be snugly and lazy in my bed and catch up on THE OC. Which, btw, I am almost done with the second season! I was thinking that I might stamp a bit today, I have two challenges sitting in front of me, and a third one that I could probably do as well if the mood strikes me.

Here is the card that I originally started for Kristina's Color Inspiration #51, then abandoned it and started the one that I submitted, but I ended up going back and finishing this one as well. I never submitted it, but here it is nonetheless!

Sweet Sunday 'Butterfly' Sketch....oh Wait! It's Wednesday!

Well, I think I'm back....I just made two cards tonight while Kerry started the molding work here in the downstairs bathroom! And now that we're both done....we're gonna do a little ice cream and Tivo.....there's so much stuff loaded on there, we don't even know where to start! We have really been neglecting our little Tivo, watching a bunch of Showtime shows on DVD.

But here's my card for Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch! This is the first time I've played this sketch. It was a fun one.... and if ya notice, I used the same pp that I used for the card I did for Jen's sketch.

Baja Breeze, Choc. Chip, Kiwi Kiss, Very Vanilla CS. October Afternoon PP. Regal Rose, Kiwi Kiss, Taken with Teal Inks. Mustard Grosgrain Ribbon. Swiss Dots Embossing cartridge. And Dazzling diamonds glitter on those little butterfly wings. The stamp is from Memory Box.

Jen's SFYTT.....a bit late!

So I don't know when I last made a card....how sad is that? I think it would have to have been last Thursday, perhaps Friday....like I've said, I have been so burnt out, it's crazy! All I can say is that I am so looking forward to a weekend at the Beach House at the end of the month! And Kerry needs it too....he's been working like just about 70 hour weeks for the past couple of weeks and it doesn't look like it's going to let up any time soon! I guess that's what owning your own business is all about....good thing I'm just the 'office manager'!

Anyhow, the card I did here was for Jen's SFYTT, which I LOVE to do every week. She has such fun sketches! And this one was no different! The Owl is from Hero Arts, I found it at Two Peas.....all other stamps are SU. Don't ya just love the new nestabilities 'Blossom' die? This was my first time using it....I think I got it sometime last week, but was just so swamped....well you know! The colors are Baja Breeze, Choc. Chip, Regal Rose, and Kiwi Kiss. I also chose to use vanilla, which I don't do very often. The patterned paper is from October Afternoon, and I have been looking for this particular print EVERYWHERE, in local stores, online, and no one had it....so I found 12 sheets of it on ebay, and bought 'em all up! I'm going to post a little card box later in the week using this paper......super cute! I love it. Good thing I didn't keep to my resolution of no new patterned paper.....

Treat Pouches

Wow. I don't know that I've been so long without posting....but I had to have some major down time this weekend. Last week totally got the best of me! And so I decided to post the little treat pouches that I made for the staff at the boys' school.

I used Stampin' UP's In Colors textured card stock.....scored and cut and folded together all 65 pouches...then tied a little ribbon around them.....filled with treats, and used the punched hole at the top to hang over an assortment of flavored H2O bottles, soda, and iced tea! From what I heard, everyone really liked them!

I also took the day off today, from stamping anyway, and really tried to spend some quality time with the boys! We had a great day!

Cupcake Trio....and a little playin' Hookey!

Oh my! I don't think I've ever been so HAPPY for it to be Friday in my entire life. Staff Appreciation week has completely wiped me out! But I ran up to school this morning, dropped off all the decorated notebooks/journals for the staff, which I forgot to take pictures of, which is sad because they were so cute!!! Big hugs and thanks to my card class girls-you know who you are- who stayed after to help me with the project!!!

So I kept Cody home from school today, he wasn't feeling well during the night, and Dylan doesn't have Kindergarten on Fridays, and since I have been neglecting them all so much this week, I decided to have a mom and me day with my boys. As soon as I finish this, we're going to go to Red Robin for lunch, and then just have a lazy afternoon here at home! Yay for us.

The Card you see here, I did for Sketchy Thursday Challenge, over at Eat, Sleep, Stamp. I picked up this cupcake stamp last weekend , and found this patterned paper the other night while I was picking up a few supplies for card class! And don't ya just love the little Twinkles on the top of the cherries of the cupcakes? They're from Taylored Expressions. Like I said in my last post for Sketchy Thursday, this is becoming one of my new fav's in terms of challenges....I love the sketches Tracy comes up with....they are super fun....you should try it out sometime!

KW Color Inspiration #51 - The sweetest flower!

Here's to another 50, Kristina! Love these color challenges! I was so happy to find a new one today! It was just what I needed to relieve some stress from this week - it's Staff Appreciation Week at School this week, and I'm the woman in charge!!! I can't wait 'till Friday!

Well, I loved these colors, and I started out making a card...got about half way through it....stopped and started a completely different card. Here is the second card I did. I might still go back and finish the first one, and if Kristina is allowing more that one entry....I may just enter that one as well.

I went a little button crazy on this card, but I think it works. I used some Rose Red DSP I had from a little pack a year or so back....some of my favorite 5/8 Chocolate grosgrain ribbon, and those darling flowers from the Petal Pizzazz set. (SU) The sentiment is from a set from Papertrey Ink, and the little tiny "blings" on the rose red flower are from Taylored Expressions...I thought they were so exciting on this flower!

TCP Challenge - Flower Drinks!

I can't believe I'm posting during "Hell Week". I must really have an addiction! LOL! I managed to make all 65 little pouches....I snapped some quick pics that I will try to get posted tomorrow.

Today I had a quick little moment to make a card for TCP color challenge. I don't know if I have ever used these colors in combination with each other, and only each other...but I really liked them!

So without anything further, here's my card. I just got this stamp on Saturday, I thought it was so cute and have been dying to use it, and this was my chance!

Yeah! I did it on Monday!

I don't know if I've ever finished my Mojo Monday Sketch on Monday. But today I did it! Not only that, but I did it during what is probably one of the busiest weeks of my entire year: School Staff Appreciation Week. But I have one day down, and 4 to go, and I only have to make 65 candy-holding-paper-pouches! I have them all scored, now I just have to stamp, cut, assemble and embellish.....and hopefully get to be before 2am! Needless to say, those will most likely be my post for tomorrow....I hope they turn out cute! I'm doing them all in an assortment of the SU in colors....

But now about this card. All patterned paper is from BasicGrey 'Marraketch' Line....I picked up like 4 BasicGrey paper pads on Friday....yes I know, I have totally and completely broken my rule about no new patterned paper, but ya know what? I'm completely okay with that...because I love all this paper! Other papers used: Whisper White, Mellow Moss, Riding Hood Red, Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, and Groovy Guava. Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red. I used chocolate taffeta Ribbon, Always & Great Friend stamp sets, and some little tiny Twinkles from Taylored Expressions. I also used my cuttlebug circles embossing folder, and the red dot in the middle of the flower? Somethin' I picked up at Michaels, I think.....