February Blues

What a month! February is the worst month for us health wise. Every year from Conner's birthday on, we are sick. I have been down for the count since Friday morning. I'll be heading off to the dr's later today because I don't think I'm going to kick this thing on my own. I'm really itching to stamp, but have little energy to do so. The Clean & Simple sketch was perfect for me. 3 stamps and a small strip of cardstock and this card was complete in 5 minutes or less.

This card also qualifies for the Moxie Fab Cure for the Winter Blues Challenge.

Stamp: Happy Trails
Ink: Bashful Blue, Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy
Paper: Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze
Accessories: Happy Trails die

Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger

The Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab World jumped out at me this week!
The colors, the cute little bird, ric rac, button...
just look at this inspiration piece.

Here's how I was inspired...

Immediately I thought of my new Folk Art dies from Wplus9, aren't they the sweetest?!
I paired them with the Tasteful Trim die from SU! and, although it's hard to see in this picture, after stamping the sentiment I ran the Vintage Label die through the Big Shot with the Woodgrain Folder by Tim Holtz. I love the texture it added!

Have a great one!

Stamps: Flower Fusion (PTI)
Ink: Pool Party (SU!)
Paper: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Pool Party, Lucky Limeade (SU!)
Accessories: Vintage Labels & Folk Art Dies (Wplus9), Tasteful Trim Die (SU!) Button, Twine (SU!) Woddgrain Embossing Folder (Tim Holtz) Sponges

Creative Elements CASE

I spend a lot of time blog hopping. I pick up ideas here and there and try to turn then into something original, However, this card is a CASE of this card by lime doodle (Debby). I love her style and attention to detail!

This is card one of of another mini-series I'm doing on StampNation, "Creative Elements, 3 Ways". I love exploring the different ways one set can be used. This one is WAY different for me, so I can't wait to post it later on StampNation and see what the ladies think!

Have you checked out StampNation yet? Click here to learn more.

Stamps: Creative Elements
Ink: Marina Mist, Crumb Cake
Paper: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Beau Chateau dsp, First Edition dsp
Accessories: Button, Linen Thread, Decorative Label Punch, Square Lattice Embossing Folder

Masculine Birthday

Conner's birthday festivities have finally died down and I got a chance to spend some time getting reacquainted with my stamps today. I went looking for a challenge to get me inspired and I came across The Paper Players Challenge #83. Their challenge was to create a Clean & Simple Masculine card, right up my alley :)

I started with an A2 card base and added a 3 /4 inch strip of Crumb Cake cardstock that was embossed using the Square Lattice Embossing Folder (my go-to folder for masculine cards). Then, I added a Basic Black piece of Ric Rac that was die from the Tasteful Trim die. I stamped the frame from Elementary Elegance in Crumb Cake ink and the guitar image in Basic Black on scrap paper, fussy cut it and adhered it with a pop dot. I finished the card off with a simple silver brad.

Today I also have for you The Outlawz CAS Challenge: To use an animal OR animal print.
Join us, we'd love to see your creation!!!

9 years ago...

If you've been wondering why my blog has been SO quiet, it's because I've been preparing for Conner's 9th birthday, which we celebrated yesterday. Today is the family party, so I'm making this post quick.

Make sure to check out my Stamps for Sale here, I'm listing them all on ebay tomorrow.

Have a great weekend!

Love Notes

(Click photo for a better view)

My boys and I have been placing love notes for each other in this cute little heart box since February 1st. Tonight at dinner we will read them. I can't wait to see what they wrote. The only instructions I gave them was to write things they love about all of us and to make sure they write the same amount for each person.

Ultimately, these love note will make a fabulous Valentine's Day layout!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Butterflies & Leaves

Happy Monday, I hope your week is off to a great start!

I had just a little bit of time this afternoon to play along in today's PTI Challenge: To use butterflies & leaves. I have had a blast with the PTI Anniversary Challenges and will be sad when it is all over in a few days! I knew exactly what I wanted to do for this challenge and was pleasantly surprised that it turned out just as I had planned :) I love when that happens!!!

Thanks for stopping in!

Stamps: Spring Tags (Wplus9), Happy Trails (PTI)
Ink: Melon Mambo, Lucky Limeade (SU!)
Paper: Whisper White, Lucky Limeade, Bright dsp (SU!)
Accessories: Circle Stackers 1 Die (Wplus9), Ribbon (retired), Whisper White Bakers Twine (SU!), Raspberry Fizz Button (PTI)

Heart 2 Heart Challenge

Luckily I have quite a stock pile of cards in my stamp room, because my cold is in full swing today . And, I just so happen to have a card that fits the PTI Challenge; a project that incorporates hearts in it. I had submitted this card to the last Paper Crafts call, but it wasn't accepted. That's ok though because two others were, woohoo!!!

I used several different PTI sets to create this CAS Anniversary card. I started by stamping the doves from Happy Trails in Fresh Snow ink. The sentiment from Fillable Frames was stamped in Early Espresso & the heart from Sweet Baby in Cherry Cobbler. I added some sponging around the die cut Mat Stack to make it pop. Bakers twine was added as a finishing touch.

This is such a versatile layout and perfect for CAS stamping. Scroll down and you will find another card using the exact same layout, but the colors give it a whole new look!

PTI Sketch Challenge

Hello there. So, I'm a bit under the weather today. We've been battling a bit of a cold here and it finally caught up with me. I couldn't let that stop me from taking part in the PTI Sketch Challenge today though. I had wanted to make a card with every sketch, but that isn't going to happen.

This is the one I chose...

And, here's my card.

Usually at this point I write about my card, however today, I'm going to end my post here! Thanks for stopping by.

Stamp: Happy Trails
Ink: Basic Black
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Baja Breeze
Accessories: Happy Trails Die, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Rhinestones

Pinterest Inspiration

The Papertrey Anniversary festivities are continuing and I am playing along in today's challenge; to be inspired by a photo on Pinterest.

I chose this photo:

The bright yellow and oranges make me happy, it feels like Spring to me. Although we've had little snow (yay!) it has been bitterly cold this Winter. I'm longing for the warm sunshine of Spring and Summer.

I was inspired to make a happy, bright card using these beautiful colors.

My card uses more green than the inspiration, but yellow or shades of orange as a card base are a bit outside my comfort zone. I'm sure you can understand :)

Stamps: Flower Fusion #6, Happy Trails
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade, Lucky Limeade, Basic Black
Paper: Lucky Limeade, Whisper White
Accessories: Mat Stack #4, Rhinestones, Lucky Limeade Bakers Twine

PTI Anniversary Day 2

I'm back today with another PTI Anniversary Challenge. Today's challenge was to make a card using one of the free download images that each of the 2012 Papertrey Ink Stamp Designers contributed to. Because I am not much of a colorer (is that a word?), Melissa's image popped right out at me. I admire the bright, fun color combos she always uses, just like she did on her image!

Because the image itself is so beautiful, I didn't have to do all that much to make my card. I started with a Kraft cardbase, that I sponged with Fresh Snow Ink. Then I wrapped a 1 x 4 1/4 inch piece of Raspberry Fizz cardstock with the 1/4 inch White Satin Ribbon and adhered it to my cardbase. I layered the digital image over Aqua Mist cs, then placed that on an angle over a doily I had in my stash. I finished off my card with a Raspberry Fizz Button all tied up with White Satin Ribbon and a single rhinestone.

I can't wait to see what other PTI fanatics do with these images :)

Don't forget to check out my stamps for sale above or click here.

PTI Favorites

Today is the first day of the Papertrey Ink Anniversary festivities. The challenge this morning is to be inspired by the Papertrey DT's favorite projects. Well, how do you pick just one? It seems a no brainer to think I'd be inspired by Maile's favorite, amazingly though, I chose a card by Melissa Phillips. I love her vintage-y, shabby chic style, something that doesn't come easily for me. I never seem to know what to do with this stamp set and her project simply oozed with creativity & class. I tried to add my own touches and not straight out CASE her. This was definitely a fun card to make. I didn't feel like the images needed to be perfect, the uneven stamping of some of the elements adds to the charm of the intended style.

I'm looking forward to seeing more as the Papertrey festivities continue :)

Stamps: Polka Dot Basic, Bundle of Love, Fancy Flourishes
Ink: Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso
Paper: Very Vanilla
Accessories: Sponges, Basic Pearl

A Pocketful of Love & more

Happy Friday!! I don't know about you, but this has been one l-o-n-g week. I'm not sure what I've been doing, but it certainly hasn't been stamping. Since I've gotten more involved in my scrapbooking lately, I'm having a hard time getting my card mojo going. So yesterday I went on a search for some challenges to help me out. I came across Color Throwdown and decided to play along there. I haven't done a color challenge in FOREVER. So off I went to my stamp room with thoughts of Black, White & Melon Mambo-ing in my head :) A little stamping joke, ok...not so funny.

This is what I came up with. A CAS Valentine. I love how you can add just about anything to the outside (or inside) of that pocket. I was daydreaming yesterday about all of the different things I'd love to have coming out of the pocket. I had come up with what I thought was an amazing idea a few months ago, but I guess the PaperCrafts peeps didn't think so because my card wasn't accepted :( Honestly, with all of the submissions they get, I don't know how they ever choose!

I may as well share it here. I'm going to hang on to this card and send it with one of the boys on their first day of school next year. OH, or, Conner has the PSSA's in March, maybe he'll get it then.

I used A Pocketful (Wplus9), Happy Trails (PTI) and Rainbows & Clouds (Lil Inker).

That's all for today. I hope you have a fabulous weekend! I'm going to head back up to my stamp room and try to get a couple more cards done for the current PaperCrafts call.

Don't forget to check out my Stamps for Sale.

Stamps for Sale

I have just listed a bunch of stamp sets and accessories for sale. You can visit my "Stamps for Sale" tab above or click here. I'll be adding more, so check back later!

HYPERthyroid

Yup, a layout! Are you surprised? I've actually been doing a lot of scrapbooking lately. I have a goal of 36 layouts for 2012 and I've already completed 9. Woohoo!

My thoughts about scrapbooking have changed thanks to my friend Catherine. Scrapbooking has been a hot topic at StampNation where Catherine has stressed the importance of a story. In the past, I would have scrapped this pretty picture of my baby girl "Izzy" (Yes, I am a crazy cat Mom, but I only have one cat!) and titled the layout "Sleeping Beauty" or something similar, made it pretty and left off journaling. Instead, I titled it "Hyperthyroid", which she's recently been diagnosed and told the story about that. See what I mean, it's the story that is important.

**Edited to add- Izzy is just fine. Her thyroid levels will be maintained daily through twice a day meds.

If you love to scrapbook, you should consider joining StampNation, click here to learn more.