A Sketch for "Boo!"

Well, Kerry took off to coach Dylan's first soccer practice of the year, and he took Cody with him too, so that just left me here with Sam! So with no one to fight or argue with, Sam has been playing nicely and has allowed me to not only create two cards for card swap tomorrow night, but also for me to make this card for this week's 2 Sketches 4 you challenge, which is fast becoming one of my new favorites! Yay! I totally had to do a Halloween card because I was just over visiting Travellingmama, and she make this adorable card with a pumpkin on it made out of a circle of pumpkin colored fabric. Well, I didn't want to go trying to find fabric in my fabric Rubbermaid's, since they have been totally put away under the stairs since I broke my sewing machine over 2 years ago, and I still have 2 quilts that are half done....okay enough rambling.....so I used paper instead for my pumpkin.....I think it still works!

This was such a fun card to make, and really came together in probably under 12 minutes! I sponged the edges of the 'pumpkin' to try and make it pop a bit more....can you tell? And I think this Cosmo Cricket paper is going to be super fun for lots of Halloween stuff this year!

Thanks for stopping by!

The Goods:

Paper: Basic Back, Dusty Durango, SU; Cosmo Cricket Haunted

Inks: Dusty Durango

Extras: Nestabilities circles, swiss dots embossing folder, Old Olive 3/8 grosgrain ribbon, black satin ribbon, letter stickers

A thank you, some crazy news, and a card for Sketchy Thursday!

First of all, thank you, and I mean THANK YOU to those of you who listened (read) to me ramble on about how I've just been kinda 'out of it' lately and just not feeling it, if ya know what I mean, and who have bravely come back! I promise not to do that for a long time.

And now for some crazy news: My kitty Titan got hit by a card right in front of our house yesterday evening. Don't worry, he's okay, he only suffered a fat lip (it's pretty funny on a cat), and some lost brain cells, which he obviously didn't have many of in the first place since he went running into the street when a car was coming. The car was going pretty fast, though, which is a completely different issue altogether, I will spare you from my rantings about that! I guess cats really do have 9 lives! Titan is now down to 8.

And now for what you all came here for in the first place, and that is my card for Tracy's sketch challenge! I decided to use another one of my little poppy 'gnomes' for lack of a better word to call them. I just love this little guy holding his little bird on a stick!

Edited to add: OH MY! I can't stop laughing....did y'all notice up there in the post when I was telling you about Titan, that it says he got hit by a CARD?!? I think I've been crafting too much! Well, he actually got hit by a car, not a card, although sometimes when he comes jumpin' up on my craft table, I do swat him with a card!

Thanks for stopping by!

The Goods:

Paper: Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Mellow Moss, Marigold Morning all SU; Cosmo Cricket Earth Love PP

Inks: Chocolate Chip, Mellow Moss, Not Quite Navy, Basic Black, all SU

Stamps: Bobby Bird, Poppy Stamps; Sentiment, The Cat's pajamas

Extras: Chocolate Satin Ribbon, Michael's; Nestabilities, Scallop Edge Punch, Copics, SU Markers, Sponges

Raspberry Suite Challenge #15

Well I thought that it might help my spirits a bit to play a color challenge. And what better challenge that Dawn's Raspberry Suite Challenge.I loved this color combo. So fun. I love this challenge, because it is actually a challenge to match the colors I have to PTI colors, which I don't have.

I also decided that since I am HORRIBLE at putting my stampin' stuff away after I create, that I would just use what I had laying out on my table, (with the exception of the moss and cream card stock and moss ink) but everything else was sitting out on my table, I promise. A sad habit that everyone knows about now. How embarrassing!

Well, it did in fact help me to feel better making this card.....it also helps that I actually really like this card too! Even if my entire living room floor is covered with legos and monopoly money! Ahh, the price I pay for stamping!

Hope y'all are having a great day, thanks for stopping by!

The Goods:

Paper: Mellow Moss, Very Vanilla, SU; Melon/Pink, Taylored Expressions

Inks: Regal Rose, Mellow Moss, Groovy Guava

Stamps: Organic Outlines, True Friend, both SU

Extras: Ribbon, Taylored Expressions KI kit; Corner Rounder Punch, Scallop Border Punch, Swiss Dots Embossing Folder, Colored Rhinestones, TE KI

Totally Uninspired.....sniff!

Okay, I have to admit. I just haven't been feelin' it lately. I don't know what it is....actually I have a good idea, but I just don't want to admit it yet. I keep getting on the computer and looking at all the amazing creations that all of these AMAZING women are making, and instead of inspiring me to be great, I just want to cry. Kinda sad, huh? Perhaps it's just hormones, I don't know. How do all of you gals do it? I look around at all of my blogging friends, and am amazed at how y'all pump out all of these incredible things, and still have all these wonderful stories to tell about your children and families and all the time you spend with them. Somehow I don't think I'm making things work right.

I have just been feeling lately that my life has been pulling me in so many different directions all at the same time, I feel like someone being quartered by horses. Crazy, I know, but I just feel like I am barely keeping my head above water. I think that perhaps the answer is to slow down. It always is for me. I am such a motivated and competitive person that it is REALLY tough for me to slow down and say 'no' sometimes. The toughest part for me is to say 'no' to myself....to some of those things that I really want to do, but aren't as important as, say, my children and family. Because it's all about family, isn't it?

Well, now that y'all are tired of my whining...I do have a card to share....it isn't my favorite, but it's okay.....it's one I made a couple of weeks ago, and just never got around to posting. I used some pp that I found in my crazy stash of paper that I cleaned out a few weeks ago, and really wanted to use it.

Thanks for stopping by. And for listening to me ramble today!

Sweet Sunday Sketch with my new favorite OWL!

This week has flown by.....I'm so happy I got a chance to stamp this morning, and make a card for Karen's SSSC#31. I think the deadline is tonight!

I pulled out some BasicGrey Marrakech paper that I've had for a while....but I didn't know what image I wanted to use. Well, Mr. Owl here, was still sitting out on my table....I really have a horrible habit of not putting stamps away, so I decided to use him. I used some sticky letters that I have had sitting around for sometime, thought they would stand out on the pp better than a stamp, and I really didn't want to add another layer. My friend Kelley has been using a lot of these lately, so I guess, seeing all the work she's done lately with all these, has inspired me!

Lastly, I pulled out some rhinestones that I just received from my Taylored Expressions KI. They were the perfect color, so I just had to use 'em! I think w/o the rhinestones, though, I could almost pull this off as a masculine card!?!

This is my third post for the day....so keep scrollin' if you'd like to see more! Thanks for stoppin' by...and have a marvelous day!

Hey there, chickadee!

So this has been my week to participate in challenges that I haven't played in a LONG time. This sketch challenges comes from 2 sketches 4 you. I always love looking at their stuff, and I think I've only played once, and that was probably more that 4 months ago.

Well, I received my Taylored Expressions Key Ingredients Kit yesterday, and there is some of the most awesome pp in there, so I had to use it. And I had to use by Everyday Button Bits from PTI. I hadn't gotten to ink up this little birdie.....I don't know if I'm doing something wrong, but it doesn't seem to look as cute as when I have seen others use it....perhaps I just need to play around with it a bit more.....twist my arm!

Hope everyone is having a GREAT day, thanks for stoppin' by!

The Goods:

Paper: Taylored Expressions KI

Inks: Chocolate Chip, Crushed Curry, SU

Stamps: Everyday Button Bits, PTI

Extras: Scallop Edge Punch, Basic Grey Buttons, Nestabilities

Hi - ya, cherry!

Okay, so I thought it would be a bit obnoxious to post 4 cards in one day, so even though I am writing this here on Tuesday, y'all won't see it until tomorrow or maybe even Thursday. But perhaps it's still obnoxious that I let on to that.

It just seems like I'm either on a roll, and my mojo is going strong, or it's like I can't get an idea in my head to save my life. Does anyone else feel that way? Well since I've been on a roll today, I decided to make one more card. I thought I was done after the last card, I really thought I was, but I came downstairs, and this cherry paper was just calling to me! I couldn't resist! And I haven't had a chance to ink up my Every Day Button Bits from PTI.

I used the Fall to Layout #55 from Clean & Simple. I so like these card layouts. Sometimes I feel like I get too complicated with cards, and I end up not that pleased with their outcomes....but I usually am always happy with the simple ones, it seems!

Cupcake Challenge #78

Wow! It has been a LONG time since I have participated in a cupcake challenge. Here's my card I did for Taylor's weekly challenge. I got this Cosmo Cricket Earth Love paper last week in my order from Two Peas....and I just love these little birds....so cute!

So I decided to add a little bird on the top of my cuppie, here, but then started to think that you probably don't really want a bird on your cupcake....but it works in the world of cards, right?

Anyway, I pulled out some ribbon and this little shiny flower from an old Key Ingredients kit....i think it was back from April, added some glitter to the top of the cupcake, and there ya have it.

Thanks for droppin' by!

The Goods:

Paper: Cosmo Cricket, Earth Love; Very Vanilla, Soft Sky, SU; Random key ingredients paper

Stamps: Bird & Sentiment, SU; Cupcake, Taylored Expressions

Inks: Basic Black, Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Cameo Coral

Extras: Glitter, Ribbon and Flower from April Key Ingredients kit

Third Time's a Halloween Charm!

First off, I have to say, this one's for you, Kelley! Seeing your Christmas card the other day, inspired me.....okay, so I'm not quite to Christmas, yet, but Halloween is half way there, right?

When I was making this card for Mojo Monday, earlier today, I thought that this sketch would lend itself well to a new little cauldron stamp I recently purchased. I tweaked the sketch a bit, and this is how it turned out!

I used some Cosmo Cricket Halloween PP, and some BasicGrey buttons I had lying around. The ribbon and sentiment are retired SU!

This is my third post for the day.....there must be something in the water....so keep scrolling if ya would like to see the other posts for today!

Thanks for stoppin' by!

Here's to Mojo Monday!

I think that when I began blogging my cards and such, Mojo Monday sketches were one of the first sketches that I routinely participated in. And I realized, just today, that I don't think I've taken part in a Mojo Monday sketch for a couple of months now.

Well, I had to play this one, not just because it is an awesome sketch, but because Mojo Monday is 100~ yay!

I bought this pear pp last week, and it was the LAST sheet they had. I was a bit teary, because it's super cute and I wanted to have enough to use for a card for my card class. But oh well.

This is my second post of the day.....I'm on a roll! Can you believe it? So scroll down if you would like to see some more of what I've been up to today!

The Goods:

Paper: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss, all SU; pp: American Crafts, Blue Skies

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive

Stamps: Image: Trendy Trees, SU; Sentiment: Everyday Button Bits, PTI

Extras: Chocolate Satin Ribbon (Michael's), Sponges, ek success edger punch

A New Sketch Challenge

So I decided to try a new sketch challenge. I have been checking out Amy's site for a while now, and have seen a few of her Friday Sketch Challenges, but have just been too busy to be able to play.....until now. Even with the kiddos fighting, and all the craziness that comes with 3 boys, I managed to sit down, (actually I find that I am usually standing while stamping) and make a card for this challenge.I decided to pull out some pp from BasicGrey (Urban Prairie) that I haven't used in a while. And I had this SU cake stamp still sitting on my table from card class last Thursday, so I decided to use that too! One of my favorite cake stamps! The sentiment is from a stamp from a new set from the new catalog. Love it. And it seemed like I hadn't used a Nestie on a card in a while either......

Thanks to all of you who take the time to stop by and see what I've done!

An Owly Sketchy Monday...and some more Dahlias

Well, I didn't get as much accomplished today as I wanted to, but hey....do we ever? I did get a chance to chat with my neighbor, Heather, for an hour or more....sitting outside on this lovely day, so I can't complain.

And I did get this card done for Tracy's Sketchy Thursday. I picked this owl stamp up today....at Michael's, believe it or not....the few times that I have purchased stamps there, I say, really, with all the INCREDIBLE stamp companies out there....you're buying a stamp from Michaels.....? Oh well. I do like this guy. He's super cute, don't ya think?

The patterned paper I received as a "bonus" on an order from Two Peas. I just happened to pull it out late last night.....hadn't used any of it.

It's a totally simple card, I know, but sometimes ya have to do simple! And I love that little sentiment....I debated whether or not to even add the sentiment.....perhaps just have some buttons, or a flower or something, but the sentiment won out!

Oh, and here are a few more pics of the Dahlias.....

This last one, I wanted to put my hand next to the flower, so y'all could get the perspective right.....this Dahlia is HUGE! It's gorgeous......probably my second favorite to the deep red.

Dahlias - A color inspiration!

Can't believe I've been MIA for so long....anyway, I hoping I have some time to stamp today. I have about 5 challenges sitting on my table. It would be nice, but summer is quickly coming to a close, and we have a camping trip planned starting Thursday, and soccer practice starts this week as well. So I guess my leisurely summer is coming to a halt! Oh no!

Well, I don't have a card right now, but thought I would share these pictures of some of my favorite flowers in the world. Aren't they beautiful? I'm hoping they will inspire me to create something today that is just as amazing as they are! Don't ya think these are great for a bright summer color inspiration?

Hope y'all are having a GREAT Monday!

A clean and simple card

Okay, so I don't know what to do with myself....the two older boys are at soccer camp, and Sam went to Nona's (grandma) for the morning. Wow. A summer morning with no kiddos....and what have I been doing? Messin' around on the computer!

Here's a card I made the other day, using the sketch/template from Clean & Simple....Fall To Layout #54, I think it was. Anyway, these are my new favorite colors together. Bermuda Bay, Old Olive, and Basic Gray. Love 'em! And, if ya can't tell, this flower has been a favorite of late as well!

It's Dylan's 6th Birthday today, and we're going out to lunch after I pick them up from soccer. And tonight we are going to the Mariners game. Super fun! I'm glad Dylan picks fun places to go for his birthday! The kids are going to make a rally fries poster this afternoon, in hopes that they will get picked for the rally fries give away in the seventh inning. For those of you who don't know, it's become this crazy tradition in Mariners Baseball, people make crazy signs, and the broadcasters pick their favorite and bring those people french fries in the 7th Inning. It's fun for the kids! Wish us luck~!

A very simple Sunday Sketch

Wow. I don't know what got into me. I wanted to see how simple of a card I could make using Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch. And here ya have it. And simple it is. Perhaps it's too simple, or it just needs a different image in place of the butterfly. I don't know. Maybe something a bit larger.....perhaps if a get a minute in the near future, I'll try it with something a little different....see how it turns out!

The Goods:

Paper: Basic Gray textured cs, Whisper White, both SU.

Inks: Basic Gray, Bermuda Bay, Both SU.

Stamps: Butterfly: Stampendous; Sentiment: Inkadinkado.

Extras: Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, SU, Corner rounder punch.

A Simply Sublime Sketchy Thursday, and a bit of eye candy!

This is my second post for the day....so scroll down if you'd like to see my entry for Dawn's Color Challenge! Okay...I'm finally playing catch up from being so 'out of it' yesterday! Here is the card I did for Tracy's Sketchy Thursday! This was a super fun sketch...but then, I think all the sketches she's done are fab!

Someone gave me a card a few years ago using these colors.....and I've loved 'em together ever since! And it gave me a chance to pull out one of my OLD In-Colors....it was a bit tricky trying to find the scrap of matching cardstock, mind you!

The Goods:

Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Marigold Morning

Inks: Basic Black, Real Red, Marigold Morning, Tempting Turquoise

Stamps: A Muse: image and sentiment

Extras: Hemp twine, SU Buttons, Sponges, Blender Pens, Copics

Oh, yeah....and I was dorkin' around on the computer earlier and found this little beauty.....Tracy, I know you'll enjoy this....hope everyone else will too! I can't wait until November! Am I worse than a 14 year old girl, or what? LOL!

Raspberry Suite #14

Hey all! I'm gonna keep it short today.....I came home from dropping 2 of the boys off at soccer camp this morning, and saw that Dawn put out another challenge! And we all know I can't resist a color challenge! I would have NEVER picked these colors to use together, but I love 'em! That's what I love about these color challenges!

Anyway, here's my take on the challenge:

Here are a few pics of the Gorge, where we saw PHISH Saturday night. This is the best venue in the entire country to see a show (and I've seen concerts in a bunch of states), and I'm blessed that it is so close....you know, within a few hours. So if you ever get a chance to see a show at THE GORGE......take the opportunity. The river you see is the Columbia.

We decided to drive back after the show, and got home at about 3:30 in the morning. I was dead to the world yesterday.......but I'm sorta functioning today....hopefully tomorrow will be even better! Happy Monday!

A birthday card and a BIG Thank You!

Just wanted to post something, but don't have much time....we're leavin' in less than an hour to go drop the boys off with Grandma and Grandpa and then we are off to the other side of the mountains to see a concert.

This is another one of those 4.25 square cards.....are y'all sick of them yet?

Lastly, I have to give a big THANK YOU to Winter Sims...she is such a sweet gal, and mentioned my blog in one of her blog awards that she gave out over on her blog, Winter Wonderland! She is super talented and has a great blog! Check her out!

Hopefully I will get a chance to craft tomorrow, if I'm not too tired, before the kiddos get back from their sleepover! Wow....time by myself....what's that?

Some simple thank you's

Here are a couple of mock ups of Thank You's that I am doing for one of my cousins for her wedding. Her colors are cream and Navy, and she wants things really simple! We're debating on the use of the honey bee.....it may make an appearance on the save the dates, and ivites too!

Hopefully I'll be back with some more to share later today....that is, if the boys cooperate....I kinda feel like I should just take a break and play games and read with them this afternoon!

A squeeze of lime.....and a problem.

Here's another one of those 4.25 square cards that I have been all about lately. I can't remember where I saw someone use this stamp, which I have always used as an orange, as a lime. Anyway, I tried it out, and I think it works!

Okay, so here's the problem. I totally have an addiction. With patterned paper. I know I've talked about it before, but I think it's really getting out of hand. I used to have it all in a couple of those plastic 12 x 12 upright storage things that SU sells....but then those filled up, and I had maybe a couple dozen sheets, so I stuck them in my other cabinet. Today I decided to go through all the paper, and I opened my cabinet, and I swear a third of the width of the cabinet was taken up by patterned paper! Oh dear! There is too much! And some of it, I don't even like! How did that happen? I think I need a support group or a 12 step program......because all of this paper is insanity!

The funny thing is, the paper that I don't like, the pattern of the back of the paper, is those school lines with the dotted line in the middle, you know, the stuff that kiddos use when they are learning how to write? So I'm going to use if for Dylan, as I am having him write 3 sentences each day to practice for first grade. Love it when I can find another use for something.

Well, that's all for now, hope everyone is havin' a great Wednesday!

TCP Tuesday and some fruits of our labor to share....

Well, for those of you who read my blog, I am having a MUCH better day than yesterday! Yay for me! Sorry, I just had to cheer for myself! I got my hair done this morning, which was fabulous...Lee Anne put more of the red underneath, and I love it! I'll have to have Ker take a picture of it, and post it so y'all can see why I'm so excited.

I've been so 'out of it' with it being summer and everything, that I didn't even realize that it was Tuesday! But was so excited for TCP Tuesday! I just picked up a couple of new Cat's Pajamas Stamps last week, and now I had a reason to use one! Susan was the hostess with the mostess this week, and the stipulation for this week's challenge was that you had to use a stamp with a cake....any kind of cake. I had a lot of fun with this card. I used my Cosmo Cricket Early Bird Paper...I just can't get enough of this stuff. Love it, love it love it! Everything else is SU

The past few days I've been really into making 4.25 square cards.....I don't know why...I just seem to slip into patterns real easily, and right now I am in the 4.25 square card pattern....I wonder how long it will last!

And here are a few pictures of the boys....we are finally reaping the benefits of our garden that we planted in May. The boys have been so excited to see everything grow, more this year than in years past.....perhaps that's because they actually planted some of the things all by themselves! Each of them picked a different kind of squash last night....and we even had the spaghetti squash with our BBQ ribs last night! YUM!

The Goods:

Paper: Very Vanilla, Not Quite Navy, Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky, all SU; Cosmo Cricket Early Bird PP

Ink: Basic Black, Not Quite Navy, Crushed Curry Marker, Certainly Celery Marker, Not Quite Navy Marker, Copics

Stamps: Piece of Cake, Cat's Pajamas; Birthday Bliss, SU.

Extras: Vanilla/Kiwi Satin Ribbon, random buttons!

Oh me, Oh my! What a day.

Okay, so I usually don't do this AT ALL, (whine online) but today was one of those days. Today I wanted school to start TOMORROW, and it seemed like I should have just not gotten out of bed. Any of you ever have these days? I swear my kids made a pact with one another to see which one could undo the most of what I was trying to accomplish all day long. I must have put the pillows back on the couch like 47 times, and then, are you ready for my most exciting moment of the day? It was sorting like 42 million Lego's into their colored bins/homes. This is no simple feat, mind you, and I am glad it is over. I was kinda a grumpy mom today....I hope my kiddos still love me tomorrow morning!

I wasn't going to stamp at all today....just give myself completely to my kids and the cleaning of the house....but by about 4pm, I had to stamp....just for my sanity!!!! I didn't get a chance to take picks of my cards before dark, so I will have to do it in the morning, and then I can post them! So check back tomorrow for more craft and less whining!!!!

A Sublime Sunday Sketch!

Sometimes I'm really sad about Stampin' UP retiring the In Colors. Don't ya think they should be allowed to hang around for a bit longer......like forever?

Well, I used last years' In Colors, which are now retired....but I thought they would be perfect for this card. I'm doing Dylan's Birthday invites with this same Submarine, and same colors. He's turning 5 in 10 days.....Wow! I remember going into labor with him and thinking, uh-oh, I better get these birth announcements finished.....luckily I was able to finish, as he was a 41 hour labor. It took forever, which is just like how he still is. Can't get that boy to do anything quickly!

Enough with memory lane.....just happy that I finished a Sweet Sunday Sketch on Sunday! I used the dimensions that Karen put on her blog....6.5 x 3.25. I think it worked out pretty good. Now I can go make some Chocolate Ganache! Yum!

The Goods:

Stamps: A Muse

Ink: Basic Black, Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point; all SU

Paper: Whisper White, Tangerine Tango textured CS, Pacific Point

Extras: Tangerine Tango and Pacific Point Striped Ribbon, Soft Swirls embossing cartridge, copics,