Tuesday Trigger: Inspired by Pyrex

When I saw this picture for the Tuesday Trigger over at the Moxie Fab World, I immediately fell in love! The colors, the images, everything just stirred up emotions from my childhood! I so remember the patterned Pyrex bowls my mom had in our kitchen growing up! We didn't have this exact set, but we had ones with flowers and mushrooms.....totally 70's......totally cool!
Aren't these bowls just amazing? For a moment, I almost thought about collecting vintage Pyrex. In fact it lasted for more than just a moment! I found myself on a couple of different blogs, craigslist, and even eBay! Then I decided I don't have the time, money or space to have this addiction.....perhaps I'll have to claim it later in life!

Okay, so onto the card, or cards in this case! I just loved the colors in the trigger picture, and I also loved the images of the birds as well, and thought of this Unity stamp set that I have that I thought would be perfect! I made two different cards, and I posted them both because I just couldn't decide which one I liked best. The first one is more simple, but I am just in love with this cross hatch background stamp. I think I have used it on like 3 of the last 4 cards I have made!Do you have a favorite? Let me know, I would love to know what y'all think!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!
Supplies:
White textured card stock by Bazzill. Whisper White smooth card stock by SU
Real Red and Tangerine Tango Ink by SU. Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black.
Crosshatch bkgrnd stamp by Impress, Bird stamps by Unity, Hello stamp by Savvystamps
Black hemp twine and rhinestones by SU, Corner Chomper

A Little Out of My Element

Hi everyone!

So I have to admit, that I am a little out of my element on this challenge. And in the past if I have come across a challenge that was out of my element, I just opted not to play!!! But I just am in love with this challenge, and all the lovely people who follow it, play along with it, as well as those Girl Fridays, that I had to give it a chance.

Graduation cards are not my strong suit. In fact, I think that this is the first one I have ever made. Can you believe it? I have no graduation stamps to speak of, so I had to completely improvise this one!! And this is how it turned out! One of my husbands' cousins is graduating from the University of Oregon next month......perhaps this card will have to go to her!!!

For the year '2011' in the circle, I just printed it out on some card stock from Word, since I didn't want to mess around with my number stamps, and I don't have any that are this small anyways! Then I stamped over the top of the numbers and punched it out with a circle punch, layered it on some card stock the same color of the ink, and then again on some AC glittered CS which was punched out with a scalloped circle punch. Stamped the cross-hatched bar across the card, the sentiment, and there ya have it!!!

Gonna keep this short, all my boys are watching MLS Soccer, and then we have the Mariners Baseball Game on Tivo to watch as well. Gonna go join them!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

Supplies:

White textured card stock by Bazzill. Soft Sky Card Stock by SU. American Crafts Glitter Card Stock

Certainly Celery, Soft Sky ink by SU. Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black.

Crosshatch bkgrnd stamp by Impress. Seeing Spots Stamp Set by SU

Rhinestones by SU

A Bit O' Bling and a Story

Oh, my do I have a story for you guys today! But first I will show you the card I made for this week's CAS-ual Friday Challenge!

I am hoping that this card is in fact CAS.....I got a bit scared as I was reading this weeks' challenge post over there at CAS-ual Fridays. I used my retro background basics stamp from PTI, and added some bling over the tiny circles in between the diamonds. Then I had to use one of my favorite leaves that I stamped on some textured card stock....sometimes I really like how the texture of the card stock comes out through the ink., and the sentiment also is one of my new favs. I think it's pretty clean and simple....hopefully the Girl Friday's will think so as well!

And now for the story:

So as many of you may know, today was the day that the acceptance emails went out from Paper Crafts Magazine for the 'A Card a Day 2012' publication. I submitted 26 cards this go around, the most I have ever submitted, and was sure that at least one would get picked up. Well this morning I checked FB, and saw that things were started, but had so much going on today, I couldn't just sit by the computer......flash to right after picking the boys up from school this afternoon, I came home and checked one more time. All the emails had been sent out, but there was no happy mail in my inbox. I went ahead and made a comment on Paper Craft's FB post congratulating everyone who had made it, and saying that I had submitted a boat load, but it wasn't my turn this go around.

After another hour or so of being outside with my kids, and over at the neighbor's house, I randomly came down and checked my email, and I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES. There it was, an email from Susan that two of my cards had been picked up! I was so happy and so excited, and so feeling like I wish I wouldn't have eaten all that Belgian Chocolate in my moment of upset-ness. Then I went back to FB to make another comment and saw that Paper Crafts had posted on the feed that OOPS! Somehow they had missed me and that an email was coming my way! (I originally didn't see that in my inbox.....I had eyes only for the email from Susan!)

Well I am a bit happier than I was a few hours ago, and yet once again feel so blessed and honored to have my designs and creations on the pages among such talented women! It is truly an honor!!!

What a day it has been...actually it's been a really crazy past couple of days. Yesterday I had to trap a live mole that one of the cats decided to bring in the house!!!! And that was only the tip of the ice burg from yesterday!!! Ha! From card maker to exterminator(don't worry I set the little guy free outside!), my talents never cease!!!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day.
Supplies

Chocolate Chip and Whisper White Textured Card Stock by Stampin UP

Chocolate Chip, Taken with Teal, and Old Olive Ink by Stampin UP

Background Basics Stamp set by Papertrey Ink, Best Wishes & More Stamp Set by Stampin UP, Thanks Stamp by Impress Rubber Stamps

Rhinestones by Stampin UP

Lawnscaping Challenge #10 - Polka Dots!

Here is the card I made for the latest Lawnscaping Challenge: Polka Dots. You can check it out here! My only problem, if you can call it a problem, is that I only own ONE Lawn Fawn stamp set. (And I bet y'all are getting sick of seeing me use the same set for these challenges!) I'm eagerly awaiting the upcoming release and want to acquire a few more sets!

In the meantime, for this card, I used the Happy Birthday sentiment from Bake Me a Cake. I used a polka dot background stamp from Savvystamps to make the present.
Gonna keep this short, I was up late last night submitting 26 cards to the latest Paper Crafts call. If you read my post from a few days ago, you know that I was having a tough couple days creating anything that I was happy with. Well, last night the stamping mojo sprung a leak from where ever it was hiding, and all these ideas popped into my head with like 38 minutes left before the submission deadline. So I was submitting cards online, while trying to stamp and create others.....all in all it turned out pretty well. Only two cards didn't make it to being submitted because the time ran out! Oh well, perhaps I'll post them in the next couple of days, or save them and see if they will fit another upcoming call!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!
Supplies:
Whisper White and Pacific Point Card Stock by SU
Pacific Point and Tangerine Tango Ink by SU
Bake Me a Cake Stamp Set by Lawn Fawn,
Large Reverse Dot Background Stamp by Savvystamps
Tangerine Tango Striped Ribbon by SU
Rhinestones by SU
Dimensionals and Glue Dots

UGHHHHHH & Buttons & Twine, Oh My!

So it has been one of those days that we all have. Nothing is turning out right! I have been so uninspired by what I have been doing that the thought crossed my mind to just give it a rest for a while. Quit crafting. Uh-oh!

I can't tell you how many cards I have attempted today that I haven't even finished because when I get a good way through them, I just don't like what I see. Its like the paper just can't come close to what I see in my mind! Ever have one of these days?

I have a really tough time walking away from crafting on a bad note. I just have this yucky feeling with me until I create something that I am happy with. And so I have been down here in my crafting dungeon trying desperately to come up with something so that I can get some good sleep tonight(baby permitting)! And so I finally came up with this card. It's not my ultimate favorite, but I'm happy enough to put it here on my blog. And enter it into the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge. If you haven't checked out the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge blog, you definitely should. Especially this week. There are some entries over there that will blow you away! Super amazing cards!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

Supplies: Crumb Cake CS by SU. Blue Divine Twine. Vintage Buttons by PTI. Jute Twine by PTI. Chocolate Chip and Poppy Parade Ink by SU.

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #2....Probably the Best that I Know of!

I don't know how many of you caught the line from Napoleon Dynamite in the title of my post, but I just have to say that I think the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge is in fact the best that I know of. What a great group of women these Girl Fridays are, and what a lovely bunch of all of you who stop by my blog here from the CAS-ual Friday Challenge Blog, and leave such wonderful comments! Its so great to be a part of something so fun and uplifting.

Sometimes for me in my crafting world, I can get quite discouraged. Either a card doesn't turn out the way I thought it would from the picture I had in my mind, or cards that I think are AMAZING don't get picked up for publication....what ever the reason, I have to say over the past week or so, I have really enjoyed all the sweet comments y'all have left me here! So Thanks! You all are the best that I know of. Okay, getting on with things. Here is the card I made for the buttons and twine challenge. If you have followed my blog for some time, you know that I had a little phase where I was a bit obsessed with party hats. Well, it's been a while since I made a card with a party hat and I thought this challenge would work well using one.

For the poof on the top of the hat I took some black 5/8" satin ribbon from SU, and cut into in like I was making grass out of card stock. Then I adhered it in a circular motion on a 1" circle I punched out of card stock. It's kind of a variation of a flower that Karen Baker made out of ribbon over on the May Arts Blog a while back. Anyway, I then added a vintage button from PTI, and tied some black Divine Twine around some Memory Box Patterned Paper that I made the hat out of. The birthday sentiment is from Impress Rubber Stamps and is stamped in Poppy Parade ink by SU!

I am now officially going to bed!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

Another CAS-ual Friday Text Challenge Card

So I'll start off with the disclaimer that I don't even know if I can enter more than one card in this challenge! I should probably go check and see.
I can't tell you all how excited I am that this challenge started. I first began my blog a little over two years ago because I wanted to finally enter some online challenges that I had been stalking for quite some time. For a while there, I was playing along with a number of different challenges, it seemed like there was a card to post each and everyday! But with the way life goes, most of the challenges I began with have either run their course, or I have played them enough, and so I was so happy that the CAS-ual Fridays challenge has been born! I guess what I am trying to say is that it was my love of challenges that got me started in the paper crafting blog world, and it feels good to sort of get back to my roots so to speak-get back to why I started doing this crazy blog thing in the first place.

I love challenges because they get my creative juices flowing and many times pull me out of my comfort zone. I never thought that 8 years ago when I began stamping that I would have ended up where I am. Stamping, blogging about the projects I have created, and even being able to have some of my work published has been an amazing journey, one that I hope continues for a long time to come. I am so humbled and honored to be rubbing shoulders (in an online way) with some truly talented and creative women. I feel even more humbled when people actually comment on my work. I do this first and foremost because I love stamp and create paper crafts, but I can't tell you how much all your comments and well wishes have meant to me.

Okay, I seriously did not mean to ramble on like that.....I don't know what got into me. With that said, here is the second card I made for the CAS-ual Fridays Text Challenge! This idea just popped into my head as I was coming home from taking Sam up to Kindergarten, and since Kellan went down for a nap, I had a chance to make this card!

The flower I stamped in Pink Pirouette ink, and then I inked up a French Script background stamp that I have with Baja Breeze Ink, and using the kissing technique, stamped the flower onto the background stamp to pick up the text over the pink, and then stamped it on the white card stock. Added a sentiment, a few little pearls, and slapped it on the card base. Couldn't be simpler than that! I have to say that I am really pleased with how it turned out with the text on the flower petals. Cuz you know, sometimes I get these crazy ideas that look real nice in my head, but don't work their way onto paper very well! I'm happy this one worked!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

Supplies:

Whisper White and Basic Black Card Stock by SU

Fabulous Flowers Set by SU. French Script Bkgrnd Stamp by SU, Think Big Favorites #2 by PTI

Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze Ink by SU, Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black

Pearls by SU

Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger: Skirting the Issue!

I can't remember the last time I played along with Tuesday Trigger! It's been a while. And I must say that it was quite refreshing to make this card today! Last night was crazy for me trying to get all my cards submitted for the Nov/Dec Issue of Paper Crafts! I always tell myself I am going to submit the cards online as I make them, but it never happens....it seems like every Monday night deadline, here I am sitting at my computer until super late trying to get it all done!

Anyway, enough of that rambling! Like I said before, I really enjoyed making this card for the Tuesday Trigger Challenge over at the Moxie Fab World! You should check it out and play along if you get the chance!

Love all the spring colors in this skirt! I decided to go with the lines on the skirt and try to incorporate them into my card, and I knew exactly which stamp I wanted to use! So I grabbed a handful of ink pads that seemed to somewhat match the colors in the skirt, and in what felt like no time at all, the card was finished! Quite CAS, I must say! And I couldn't resist adding some little pearls around the sentiment, too!
Well, I'm happy I got a post in today! Didn't think that was going to happen! And now I am off to fold a few loads of laundry while Mr. Kellan is sleeping, and before I have to go pick up the other 3 boys from school! Cody has a soccer game tonight as well as Scouts, so I only have about another hour of peace before the craziness of my afternoon and evening begins!

Thanks for Stopping by and have a beautiful day!
Supplies:
Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla Card Stock by SU
Regal Rose, Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzazz, Pink Pirouette, Peach Parfait, and Chocolate Chip Ink by SU
Long Stripe w/Dot Border Stamp by Savvystamps. Hello Stamp by Impress
Pearls by SU, Old Olive Satin Ribbon by SU
Corner Chomper, Sponges for distressing

It's CAS-ual FRIDAY CHALLENGE at last!

I have been so excited for this challenge to begin, and today is the day! I should totally be working on all the 60 plants I still have to wrap up tonight for the final day of Staff Appreciation Week up at school, but I just couldn't resist. I guess it will just be a very late night.Here is the card I made using text. I used some patterned paper that had text on it from SU, I am too lazy right now to look up the name, but I used it with the Top Note Die. The I die cut the butterflies, and ran them through my Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder, added some rhinestones, and there you pretty much have it!

Sorry the picture is so poor. I wanted to get this posted tonight, and well, it's dark outside!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

Supplies:

Black, Peach Parfait, Concord Crush, Poppy Parade Card Stock by Su

First Edition PP by SU

Top Note Die, Swiss Dots Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Pear Pizazz Twill Ribbon by SU, Rhinestones, Dimensionals

A Spring Hello

Hi!

I just wanted to share a card I made that I did at my card class in April. I used this tree image from Taylored Expressions, and added some of the Sweet Pea Flowersoft. Love that stuff!!!I hope that I haven't posted this card here on my blog.....I don't think that I have, but I didn't take the time to check. I have been severely needing to get my card/craft blogging stuff organized. The way I have things now just isn't working. With all of the publication calls that I am trying to participate in, and all the other cards I'm making as well, it is tough for me to keep track of where they all belong. Which ones are for publication, which ones are just for my blog, which ones am I going to use to teach card class, which ones have been photographed, which haven't, which ones have been submitted, which ones haven't. I think you get my point. Right now, they are just sitting in random piles on my computer desk. Not really a good plan.

I told myself that I would get completely organized before I stamped anymore cards. But it's so tough. It seems like if I get a minute, I want to create something, not sit around and organize. Plus, it is staff appreciation week, and I am in charge of it at my boys' school, which is making me even busier this week. I have cards to make for teachers.....so I guess I'm going to have to stamp!!!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

A Quick Card for Lawnscaping Challenge #9

Hi!

I was just doing a little bit of blog hopping and saw that my friend Winter is the guest designer for May over at Lawnscaping!!! I am so happy for her! How exciting!

After seeing her post, I decided to play along! So here is just a quick card I whipped up for the latest Lawnscaping Challenge, which is all about celebrations. I know this card is super simple, and not really up to the caliber of what is submitted to this challenge, but I thought I would play along anyway! I added the little pearls to the cake in honor of the Royal Wedding this past week! They seemed to add that little bit of a distinguished touch to the cake, which jux opposes the crazy little sentiment!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

Supplies:
Crumb Cake and Whisper White Card Stock by SU
Bake Me a Cake and Party Hearty Stamps Sets by Lawn Fawn and SU
Basic Black ink by SU. Baja Breeze Stampin Write Marker, Copic Markers
Pearls by Stampin Up, 1/8 Taffeta Ribbon in Black by SU, Scallop Trim Border Punch by SU