Scrapbooking...by a longtime beginner

Life...

2009-02-04T13:41:00.003-06:00

Life has been interesting around here so far this year.

As many of you know, my husband, Jerry, received a new, experimental treatment using his own stem cells. He has PAD (peripheral artery disease) or what we always called arterial sclerosis (hardening of the arteries). The treatment is part of a clinical trial hoping to promote the use of stem cells to treat more and more diseases.

My mother-in-law passed away because of this...my father-in-law could barely walk before he passed. I did not want my husband to pass away when medical science could help!

But, there were a few very negative emails that I received after I posted about his treatment. I want to clear up a few thing...

The stem cells that were used were his own. The doctor extracted bone marrow from his hip and then removed the 50 or so stem cells that were there. The stem cells were "multiplied" to create around 4 million...the wonders of modern science! He received 40 injections in the calf muscles of each leg...one leg got the stem cells, the other leg got saline (it's the control).

I wish to assure everyone that there were absolutely NO controversial processes.

To our family, a traditional Catholic family, there were absolutely NO religious conflicts.

Whatever your views of stem cell research, I completely honor them. Our family did not feel that there were any reasons to object to using what was already his. And I am trying to keep Jerry's quality of life as high as possible.

We've been through so much as a family with him...the quadruple bypass of his heart, the kidney cancer, the other attempts to provide his legs with better blood flow, and that horrible brain injury from his nosedive off a ladder. The probable amputation of a limb was, and is, something we're trying to prevent.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers...we need them!

And now that we are waiting to see the long term results of his treatment, I'm hoping to get back to my crafting and stamping!!!

Happy 2009!

2009-01-01T22:37:00.004-06:00

Another day, a new year!!!

I think I've cooked more food in the last 2 weeks than I have in the last two months, lol. Take that back, maybe in the last 6 months!

Following our family traditions, and the traditions of New Orleans (and probably the south), we've had our black eyed peas and rice, smothered cabbage, baked ham, potato salad, and other assorted food and sweets to ring in the new year. I hope it works, lol!

The next big day around here is the "Twelth Night"...or the twelth day of Christmas, or Epiphany, or what we call around here "King's Day", the countdown to Lent. King cakes officially start that day, and I'll post more about that later.

I hope everyone, and I do mean everyone, has a fantastic new year!

Mojo Monday #66 & CCEE Stampers

2008-12-23T13:29:00.011-06:00

I think this will definately be my last post until after the first of the year...I have got to clean off my dining room table!!! ROFL!

I have lots of people coming for Christmas dinner, and then I have a small party planned for Friday night looks like and then there is New Year's dinner! Yummy!!! My favorite meal of the year!

But I did get a chance to make a few cards for friends, and I also got a chance to use the sketch from Poetic Artistry. And I combined Julee's fabulous sketch with the black and white challenge from CCEE Stampers.

I used Very Vanilla instead of Whisper White on this card, I thought the white was too stark and plain.

And yet, I used Whisper White on this card, the embossing called for the white. I absolutely love this embossing folder!!! You can't really see it, but I glittered the berries. I love how the card finished!

Thank You card details:
Stamps: Upsy Daisy (SU!)
Patterned Paper: 5th Avenue (MM)
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Basic Black (SU!)
Ink: Basic Black (SU!)

FaLaLaLa card details:
Stamps: Sentiment (Rubberneckers)
Patterned Paper: 5th Avenue (MM)
Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black (SU!)
Ink: Basic Black (SU!)
Accessories: glitter

I hope you like my cards! Merry Christmas!

Mr. Bingle

2008-12-22T13:14:00.017-06:00

When I was a little girl (yes, back in the dinosaur days as my girls say), there was a local department store called Maison Blanche.

Every Christmas season, Momma & Daddy would bundle us into the car and we'd drive downtown into New Orleans to see the lights, and we would ALWAYS drive down Canal Street past the Maison Blanche store.

Mr. Bingle was the store's mascot...and there was a huge Mr. Bingle on the outside of the store. Mr. Bingle = Maison Blanche, get it????

And Maison Blanche always did it right! There was a song and even a puppet show in the afternoons! It was great growing up with Mr. Bingle!!! Watch this video!

Now, Maison Blanche is gone, Dillard's owns the store. And Mr. Bingle now resides in City Park for their Christmas in the Oaks celebration, but since Katrina, you can only see him on the walking tour.

Even after all these years, Mr. Bingle is alive in many adult hearts around the world. And he has a fan club. Enjoy him!

This is my 2008 Mr. Bingle ornament...I think I have all of them! I'll take some pictures of him once I put him on my Christmas tree.

Jewelry Color Inspiration #16

2008-12-21T23:24:00.007-06:00

I always look forward to Stacey's Stamping Stage's jewelry inspiration challenge. She finds the absolute best jewelry!!

Fabulous colors as usual!!! I am in a "green" phase, so this challenge played right into my current mood. Then disaster struck!!! Again, I couldn't find what I was looking for (if you saw my cropping area you'd know why, lol). So I really struggled with the card.

This is what I came up with...not fancy, not fussy.

I have a problem using both Whisper White and Very Vanilla, and as usual, I couldn't make myself use both. A mind block!!!!

Merry Christmas card details:
Stamps: Series 22 (Studio G)
Paper: Whisper White, Old Olive, Always Artichoke (SU!)
Ink: Green Galore (SU!)
Accessories: glitter, ribbon, various circle punches

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge # 11

2008-12-21T08:16:00.007-06:00

I think this is going to have to be the last day I can participate in any kind of challenge, and I'm really sad about it. I do all my work on my dining room table, and I kind of need it now, lol. I've been packing the table up for days now, and I realized yesterday when I went to make my card, I had packed up more than I thought.

I couldn't find the patterned paper I wanted to use...
I couldn't find my craft knife...
I couldn't find this really cool bell stamp...
I couldn't find some wide burgundy ribbon...

ARGH!!!

And being me, over-critical & anal, I just couldn't make my card come out the way I saw it. But I'm posting it anyway, lol!

This week's Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge is inspired by one of the best classic Christmas movies, It's A Wonderful Life.

I used a sketch that I'm 99.9% sure came from Paper Craft Planet, again, I didn't write it down. I don't know what's wrong with me lately!

I found a pack of very old Stampin' Up metallic paper...and I wanted to make my card have some kind of metal on it. And the paper was perfect!

I couldn't find the stamps that I wanted to use, but I did know of a bell that I have on a CD in my graphic library. So I printed it directly on the cardstock and I thought it looked fabulous! A little glitter and the bells are perfect! I can't find this really fabulous burgundy ribbon so I just epoxied the bow as it was. BUT I'm going to keep looking for the ribbon and I'll re-post the card after I redo the card, lol!

When A Bell Rings card details:
Paper: Silver, Bravo Burgundy - retired (SU!)
Accessories: glitter, liquid epoxy, punches, ribbon

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration #35

2008-12-18T10:20:00.009-06:00

Kristina Werner has yet another fabulous color inspiration up on her blog! I just love the way this week's colors work together!!!

Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Baja Breeze, So Saffron and Very Vanilla - WOW! What fabulous colors!

I used this sketch, and I have to admit, I don't remember where I got it from. I know, I'm so bad!!! But seriously, if you know where it came from, please email me. I feel awful that I didn't write it down!

Anyway, I used my new Bella stamp, Christmatini. We are having a few of our neighbors over for drinks between Christmas and New Year's, so I'm playing with invitations. I glittered the ornament that's sitting in the glass, but now I'm wondering if I should have glittered the entire glass. I also used a touch of Kiwi Kiss to the ornament and tree...the So Saffron and Baja Breeze didn't look right, lol!

Holiday Cheer card details:
Stamps: Christmatini (Stamping Bella), Ornamental Christmas (Verve)
Patterned Paper: Frosty Day DSP (SU!)
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Baja Breeze, So Saffron, Very Vanilla (SU!)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Baja Breeze, So Saffron, Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: glitter

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Paper Craft Planet Sketch Challenge

2008-12-18T09:57:00.006-06:00

If you haven't joined Paper Craft Planet by now, you should and soon! I know there are lots of online groups, but for some reason, Paper Craft Planet is one of my favorites. I don't know if it's because of the way it's configured, or because it's easy to navigate, but I love it!

The sketch challenge for this past week is to use this sketch. I now realize why I'm not crazy about my card...lol! I shouldn't try to create cards at midnight!

First, I think the card is too busy...the DSP is fine, as is the little "medallion" in the upper left corner. The main image is wrong...wrong, wrong, wrong. I see it now but last night I couldn't see it.

I will rework this card...

Christmas card details:
Stamps: Lovely As A Tree & So Many Scallops (SU!)
Patterned Paper: Frosty Day (SU!)
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Bashful Blue, Tangerine Tango, Close to Cocoa (SU!)
Ink: Bashful Blue, Tangerine Tango, Close to Cocoa (SU!)
Accessories: ribbon (random), circle scallop punch (SU!)

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

For Susan...

2008-12-16T14:57:00.011-06:00

We all have a friend or two who is "non-traditional" in their Christmas decorating. My friend is probably my best friend, Susan. She has a thing for cats, cats for all seasons, lol.

I try to change up the colors for the things I make for her. Kitties in all shapes and sizes are fine, but for Christmas, she likes kitties in purple, gold, pink...anything except red and green!

One of my favorite color challenges is at Stacey's Stamping Stage, and this week's colors are perfect for Susan's card! And it's the perfect time to use my new stamps I bought from Pink Cat Studio.

And look at this fabulous card sketch from CCEE Stampers! Not fussy, but just fabulous!

I think Susan is going to love this card...the kitty reminds me so much of some of the kitties I've bought Susan over the years. I've got a few things to make for Susan using this stamp, and I know she's going to love everything!

Kitty Christmas card details:
Stamps: Cat Plate #1 (Pink Cat Studios), Ornamental Christmas (Verve)
Cardstock: Bravo Burgundy, Lovely Lilac, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White (SU!)
Paper: Jersey Shore DSP (SU!)
Ink: Bravo Burgundy, Lovely Lilac, Pumpkin Pie (SU!), Jet Black (StazOn)
Accessories: ribbon, puff paint

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

It's Snowing!!!

2008-12-11T08:51:00.009-06:00

It's snowing in New Orleans!!!

WOW! Mia just doesn't get what's going on and why everyone is so excited! But she got into the "snowball" mood fast!

This is a view from my front door, lol...I'm not getting out there!

And a peek from my back doors...it's really coming down!

What a fabulous birthday present for me! Thanks Momma!!!

A little video!!!

TCP Tuesday Color Challenge #37

2008-12-10T15:22:00.011-06:00

I love the colors of the TCP Tuesday Color Challenge. WOW! I chose Real Red, Always Artichoke and Soft Sky for my color palette. And I found a really cute sketch (can't remember from where) and while I mostly like the card, the sentiment doesn't show up in any of the pictures I took.

I really wanted to use these stamps...Kitty Christmas is my one and only Cat's Pajamas set! I do plan to get more, but I'm going to have to wait til after the first of the year.

It's storming outside, so my pictures were taken inside, and apparently, no place in my house is "properly" lit, lol!

Falalala card details:
Stamps: Kitty Christmas (Cat's Pajamas)
Paper: Real Red, Almost Artichoke, Soft Sky (SU!)
Ink: Versamark, jet black (StazOn), Real Red, Almost Artichoke, Soft Sky (SU!)
Accessories: white puff paint, embossing powder, circles punches

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration #34

2008-12-10T14:30:00.021-06:00

It's Wednesday, so that means I finally get a chance to post a couple of cards I've made, lol! I've been sick with a sinus infection on top of a nasty head cold. No energy, no interest in anything. I'm hacking all night, and sleepy all day [sigh].

I love how soft the colors are for Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration Challenge...those skeins of yarn are of the most gorgeous hues!

I have got to get some more patterned paper...none of what I have would work with these colors, so I did a little stamping with Versamark to make a small background, and I guess it worked. The patterned paper that I did use, well I'm not sure it's the right color blue, but hey!, I got blue on the card! It's harder than it looks!

It's not my best card, but I did manage to restrain myself enough not to use one of my fairy stamps, lol (I still think I over used those stamps).

And geesh! Let's not talk about my pictures!!! It's storming outside, so having to take the pictures inside, well no place in my house is "properly" lit, lol! Sorry about how bad they are!

Happy Holidays card details:
Stamps: Snowflakes (Inkadinkado)
Paper: Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Sage Shadow, Certainly Celery, blue dsp (SU!)
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: snowflake punch (fiskars), brad (random), embossing powder

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Our Elf Dance

2008-12-10T07:58:00.003-06:00

Turn off the music on my sidebar BEFORE you play the video...

And in order shown in the opening picture -- Lore (#2), Mia, Me (behind the start button), Bonnie (#3 and Mia's mommy), and Hallie (#1).

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I don't usually put myself in these kinds of things, but I didn't want the girls dancing with this weird looking elf, lol. Aren't my girls gorgeous!?!?!

I'm around...

2008-12-08T11:08:00.003-06:00

Everything worked out reasonably well for my husband last week. There were some problems, some delays, and some bad news, but he did finally get his angiogram Friday morning. I'll post more on the bad news later.

I did find a fabulous blog, Stampin' With Kim. She has a fabulous glitter flower tutorial...when I think about how much money I've spent on Prima flowers...ARGH! This has to be the easiest idea ever! Her tutorial is here.

Please check this out! I promise it's wonderful!

Merry Christmas Tags...

2008-12-07T09:58:00.006-06:00

How ya'll doin'???

Before I post my card, let me first thank everyone for their emails & notes keeping my husband in your thoughts prayers. After some problems & some not so great news, Jerry had his angiogram. I can tell you I've been way up & way down - then all over the place the last few days.

Anyway, Friday night I actually had time to sit down at the computer and check around for challenges and updates to my favorite blogs...and at Splitcoast Stampers I found the "Limited Supplies" challenge.

I've been working on tags for my presents and this challenge made me think and create! I got very excited and last night I finally had a chance to create something! the card had to use "snowflake" stamps, paper, etc...no snowmen, just snowflakes. It had to be monochromatic and was supposed to sparkle! And the hardest part of the challenge was that the sentiment was to be one word!

I really like this...it's the perfect tag for one of my gifts, and I am definately going to make more. I think the card took me 15 minutes?

Merry card details:
Stamps: Ornamental Christmas (Verve)
Paper: Baja Breeze (SU!)
Ink: versamark watermark ink
Accessories: Snowflake punch (Fiskars), brads, embossing powders

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

CBCC Tuesday #17

2008-12-03T09:26:00.005-06:00

I found a fabulous challenge this past weekend at Created By Courtney. The challenge was to make a Christmas ornament.

A while back, I found a great blog that showed using the little $1 acrylic blocks you get from Michael's as the basis of an easy Christmas ornament. Fabulous idea huh? Unfortunately, I don't remember where I saw it, so I can't give credit. If you know where I might have seen it, please let me know.

It's not the best, Mia was "helping" me, lol. And I'll make another tonight (I have tons of those little blocks), I promise!

On a personal note: Please keep my husband & I in your thoughts today. We've been trying to get him qualified for a stem cell research project (harvesting his own stem cells) to increase the blood flow to his legs.

Today, they are going to admit him to the hospital & give him meds to protect his one remaining kidney (the other he had removed because of cancer). Then tomorrow, they'll put another stint in his abdomen to help increase the blood flow down to his legs. We really need this to work. He has so much pain when he walks, and since we've been down this road with his mom, we know how bad it can get.

Thanks ya'll! And have a great day!

CCEE Stamp Challenge/Mojo Monday #63

2008-12-02T11:47:00.008-06:00

I love combining challenges, big secret huh? LOL!

Well, this card combines the creative genius of Julee at Poetic Artistry and the fabulous ladies at CCEE Stampers.

Another fabulous sketch by Julee! And the CCEE Stamper's challenge making a "blue" card with brads! WOW! How fun!!!

I immediately knew which stamp I was going to use, and getting all the "blue" together was easy. I didn't want to have lots of white, but I needed some to go along with the sketch. What do you think?

"Blue" Thank You card details:
Stamps: Bluebell bittybloom (Stampin' Bella), Love and Joy (SU!)
Paper: Whisper White, Bordering Blue, Not Quite Navy, DSP (SU!)
Ink: Bordering Blue, Rose Red, Elegant Egglant, Not Quite Navy (SU!), versamark
Accessories: brads, embossing powder, lacy punch (Martha Stewart)

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

2 Sketches 4 You Sketch Challenge #14

2008-12-02T11:34:00.005-06:00

I love Kazan and Laura's sketches...they are fabulous! Please visit their challenge blog at 2 Sketches 4 You. Every week, they have the best sketches!

SEE!!! How wonderful is this! And here is my card using their sketch! I did not put the tab as shown on the sketch...I just didn't like anything I did. I tried paper tabs, DSP tabs, I made a tab with the lacy trim, the ribbon, argh! Nothing looked right, so I left it off.

Joy card details:
Stamps: Love and Joy (SU!)
Paper: Very Vanilla, Baroque Burgundy, Always Artichoke, DSP (SU!)
Ink: Baroque Burgundy (SU!), Versamark
Accessories: ribbon, lace punch (Martha Stewart)

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Techno Stamper Sketch Challenge #46

2008-12-02T11:14:00.007-06:00

Every week, Techno Stamper has the Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge. The sketches are fabulous, a real challenge for me.

This sketch is fabulous! WOW! I really had to think and plan this out and then I looked at the pile of paper and cardstock on my table and I just picked this out.

4 Ever card details:
Stamps: ProvenÇal (SU!)
Paper: Very Vanilla, Baroque Burgundy, Always Artichoke, DSP (SU!)
Ink: Baroque Burgundy, Always Artichoke (SU!)
Accessories: brads, ribbon, sticker (Melissa Frances)

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Color Throwdown #21

2008-12-02T10:50:00.007-06:00

The Color Throwdown is one of the best color inspirations out there! If you haven't participated, you need to!

I'm almost late, lol...tomorrow (Wednesday) is the new color inspiration but I wanted to make sure I get my card in. This week, the colors are Really Rust, Chocolate Chip and Sage Shadow.

I used my new favorite stamp set "Lovely As A Tree" and made a basic card. I can use this as a note card or whatever. I purposely chose NOT to add a sentiment.

Card details:
Stamps: Lovely As A Tree (SU!)
Paper: Very Vanilla, Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow, DSP vellum (SU!)
Ink: Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow (SU!)
Accessories: twill ribbon

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

A Spoonful of Sugar Challenge #28

2008-12-02T10:30:00.009-06:00

Every week, A Spoonful of Sugar, has a great challenge! And we all know how much I love challenges! The DT cards are gorgeous...I'm gonna have to get some of those Sarah Kay stamps!!!

Last night, while working on my cards (all on my own), I made a little thank you card in anticipation of what I'll need after Christmas.

And this morning, here was a challenge to make a Thank You card! Talk about timing!!!

Thank You card details:
Stamps: Lovely As A Tree (SU!)
Paper: Kraft (PTI), Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla, DSP (SU!)
Ink: Chocolate Chip ((SU!)
Accessories: ribbon

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-02T10:08:00.005-06:00

I love Christmas...I love being able to wear flip-flops and shorts, I love to sweat while putting up my outdoor decorations, and I love trying to decide whether to put on a light sweater or not. ROFL! I live in the New Orleans, LA metro area and we have about 3 days of real winter every year, lol!

But I still love Christmas...the smells of the cookies baking, the sounds of Mia's laughter when she sees more Christmas decorations, the sight of her smiles. I bake cookies for my neighbors, mailman and friends, and Mia is going to be a big help this year.

So I need a bunch of generic, fast Christmas cards again this year...and here are a couple I've made.

Holiday cards details:
Stamps: Big Holiday Words (Hero Arts)
Paper: Whisper White, Riding Hood Red (SU!)
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: embossing powder, snowflake brads, glitter (MM), felt flowers (American Crafts), ribbon

I hope you like my cards! And thanks for looking!

Butterfly Award...

2008-12-01T09:06:00.010-06:00

I should be giving out an award to all the wonderful ladies I've "met" online. Their generosity and willingness to answer all my dumb questions is unending.

Sankari has a beautiful blog and is just too sweet! The posts on her blog have inspired me and challenged me...isn't that what it's all about?

She has given me the following award...I'm so not worthy of it though.

The rules for this award are to:

1. Pick 10 people to pass this award to
2. Contact them & let them know that you have chosen their blog for this award
3. Link to the person who gave this award to you

The people I have chosen for this award are fabulous bloggers who always challenge me with their creativity. I'm supposed to pass this onto 10 people, but I don't know 10 people, lol...basically, I am pretty shy online, more of a stalker, lol.

1. Stacey's Stamping Stage
2. Techno Stamper
3. Poetic Artistry
4. MotherMark
5. Today's Lessons
6. Chic n' Scratch

I'm sorry I don't "know" more people, lol. But these are some of the best of the best. Please check out their blogs!!!

See ya'll later!!! I've got some cards to post, but housework has to come first, lol!

Black Friday Challenge...

2008-11-30T09:59:00.005-06:00

I know I'm a little late with this one...

Stamp Something has a great weekly challenge, and I've been trying to participate. This week's challenge was in honor of "Black Friday", and I really kept with the theme, lol!

I think my card is very crisp and clean, very graphic. It was a little easier than I thought it would be, and for once, the card just flowed out of me. I loved that!

Thinking of You card details:
Stamps: Fancy Florals (Verve)
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink: Basic Black, Versamark
Accessories: Dotted Swiss embossing folder (Cuttlebug), ribbon, embossing powder

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Paper Craft Planet Color Challenge

2008-11-30T09:39:00.007-06:00

I love Paper Craft Planet! If you haven't joined, you should!

They have a color challenge each week, and this week, the colors were fabulous! I do have Christmas cards on my mind, so I really struggled (unnecessarily I know) with using some of my Christmas stamps on the card.

I had to sneak a little summer yellow in there for the star, but I stayed true to the colors chosen and I really think Santa looks terrific!

And when I bought my crop-a-dile, it came with little bags of eyelets. The snowflakes were in one of those little bags, and they look wonderful on the card. I smooshed them a little too hard, but I don't think it takes away from the card.

Happy Ho-Ho-Holidays! card details:
Stamps: Ho-Ho-Holidays (SU!)
Paper: Kraft (PTI), Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red, Taken With Teal, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red, Taken With Teal, Summer Sun (SU!), StazOn jet black, Versamark
Accessories: eyelets, Winter Wonderland embossing powder

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

I hope...

2008-11-30T08:44:00.011-06:00

I hope ya'll all had a great Thanksgiving. I think all the food is just about gone, thank goodness, 'cause I can't eat leftovers much more, lol.

Today I have a few cards I've made ready to post. I'll get them up as quickly as I can, but I have Mia today, so it's gonna be hit and miss, lol!

I started this card with the Mojo Monday sketch from Poetic Artistry. I love her sketches, and I love her stamps! But nothing spoke to me, nothing but the sketch. I teamed the sketch up with the colors from this week's colors from Paper Craft Planet, Baja Breeze, Tangerine Tango, Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip and Whisper White.

And then, Our Creative Corner had a challenge that we were to use snowmen or snowflakes! WooHoo! Three challenges in one card!

I used my new Martha Stewart embossing punch, I love it!, and some old SU! vellum. Inkadinkado stamps always work and I just love how it came out! I chose not to put a sentiment on the front of the card, it's inside.

Snowman card details:
Stamps: Warm Holiday Wishes (Inkadinkado)
Patterned Paper: old vellum (SU!)
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Tangerine Tango, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Tangerine Tango, Riding Hood Red (SU!)
Accessories: Versamark, embossing powder, embossing punch (Martha Stewart)

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

How Gorgeous!!!

2008-11-28T16:29:00.011-06:00

I found a link to a fabulous chandelier on Kristina Werner's blog this afternoon...I was going to see some of the gorgeous cards entered into her weekly color challenge. But then I found her post about the chandelier. WOW!!!!!

And to top it off, her friend, Patty, who made this, is giving one of them away!!!!!

And she's giving away a set of .pdf instructions on how to make some of her fabulous designs as well!!!!

To try to win the .pdf instructions, click here and go to the Talk of the Town. The calendar is fabulous!

Click here, and go to the Talk of the Town for the chandelier! I can't tell you how gorgeous this chandelier is!

Leave a comment for either or both, and then put a link on your blog to her blog. WOW! How easy!

Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration #32

2008-11-25T18:51:00.020-06:00

One last post for today, I promise, lol!

Another fabulous color inspiration challenge has been posted at Kristina Werner's Design Blog. The colors are Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla, Whisper White and Sahara Sand or a metallic color. Since I don't have any Sahara Sand, and I really liked the idea of the metallic colors, I went that way.

I used the "faux metal" technique that was highlighted a few weeks ago at Splitcoast Stampers, and used some of my snowflake stamps to create the "metal" ornaments. The silver embossing powder was the perfect choice!

I'm not going to repeat any of the bad things I said while trying to get the layout just right, but I will say that I really, really love the final look!

I used several different stamp sets, all different companies. So I really mixed it up! The Riding Hood Red shows up brighter than it really is, and the contrast between the Very Vanilla and Whisper White wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Holiday Cheer card details:
Stamps: Snow Burst (SU!), Winter Wonder & Ornamental Christmas (Verve)
Paper: Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink: Riding Hood Red (SU!)
Accessories: ribbon, silver & red tinsel embossing powder

Happy Holidays! And thanks for looking!

Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge #7

2008-11-25T14:52:00.012-06:00

Another great Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge! And #7!!! Don't you just love these??? This week the movie chosen was A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving! This movie is a MUST in our home! Even though my girls are grown, they still watch it!

Problem --- no Charlie Brown stamps...what to do?

I follow a great blog, The Stampin' Academy. And a while ago, Angie posted a fun little video tutorial how to use your punches to create a little turkey! It was pretty easy, but small. So, I decided to use my BIGGER punches and make my own!

I used my giga scallop circle punch and a giga circle punch by Marvy, as well as a 2" circle punch by Fiskars. I cut a 2" square and cut it down to 1¾" for the hat, and used what I trimmed off to make the brim of the hat. I also used the boho blossoms punch from Stampin' Up! to create the feet and beak. And I found this pack of wiggle eyes at Dollar Tree, and aren't they cute!

I had so much fun figuring the turkey out --- and I'm going to make some more of the bigger version of the turkey for my dinner table Thursday. Maybe placecards?

Give Thanks card details:
Stamps: Tall Oaks (Verve)
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, More Mustard, Really Rust, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Basic Black (SU!)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU!)
Accessories: Giga Scallop Circle punch, Giga Circle punch (Marvy), 2" circle punch (Fiskars), Boho Blossoms pucnh (SU!), buttons, wiggle eyes

I hope you like my card! And gobble gobble!

Cupcake Craft Challenge #15

2008-11-25T11:42:00.009-06:00

I love the Cupcake Craft Challenge! Sometimes it's a color combo, sometime it's a sketch and other times, it's a theme. For the Cupcake Craft Challenge #15, the theme was "sweets and treats".

I used a fabulous sketch from Amy Celona from UStamp4Fun! She used some really great Stampin' Up paper -- blue! Very non-traditional!

But I just had received an order from Papertrey Ink and it had some really fabulous holiday paper in it. And I really wanted to play with it, so I used the sketch from UStamp4Fun with the paper!

It wasn't until I was completely done with the card that I realized I had really mixed up all the supplies I used, lol. But I really liked the way the card came out and I will be using the sketch again.

Merry and Bright card details:
Stamps: Cause for Celebration (SU!), Ornamental Christmas (Verve)
Patterned Paper: Holiday Vintage Prints (PTI)
Cardstock: Pure Poppy, Ripe Avocado, Kraft (PTI)
Ink: Real Red, Always Artichoke, More Mustard (SU!)
Accessories: ribbon

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Our Creative Corner & Paper Craft Planet Challenges

2008-11-25T11:06:00.008-06:00

One day, ya'll are gonna get so tired of all my challenge cards! LOL!

If you haven't joined the Paper Craft Planet group, you should. There are tons of great stamp companies, stampers and scrappers that belong to it! You can even tailor your interests to a single stamp company! Really kewl!

This is a great sketch from Our Creative Corner! And I got the color combination from Paper Craft Planet! Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Cameo Coral and Riding Hood Red, FABULOUS!

The Cameo Coral really threw me, that's a hard color to work with. I used a piece of very old Stampin' Up patterned vellum that had a swirl of the coral (or so it looked to me). And if you look closely, Mia added a few touches of the color around the trees, which after I "fixed" it, looked ok.

Again, I apologize for the slightly dark pictures, it's too windy to take pictures outside and I can't find the proper lighting in my house.

Happy Holidays card details:
Stamps: Lovely As a Tree (SU!)
Paper: vellum, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Cameo Coral and Riding Hood Red (SU!)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Cameo Coral (SU!)
Accessories: ribbon

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge #13

2008-11-25T10:31:00.011-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I found a new blog challenge at Kaboodle Doodles. I don't have any of their products but one day I will, lol.

This week's challenge is to create a card that is not a traditional looking card. They want shapes!!! So I decided to use a template that I found a while back. My friend, Susan, asked me to make baby shower invitations for her neice's shower... she's having a girl! So I'm trying this out! I found this fabulous template at Stampington & Co.

I printed the template directly on the cardstock, which was an issue. The black edge showed and I spent an hour carefully trimming it away. Very time consuming.

I stamped and embossed the skirt, sleeves and hem of the dress. I realized AFTER I did all that that I should have cut some patterned paper and overlaid the template, but of course, I do everything the hard way.

I had to work hard to get good pictures of the hem of the pinafore, and none of them are great. We're a little windy today, so I couldn't go outside to take a picture. But when I was done with the card, it reminded me of many of the little dresses my 3 girls wore when they were little...good memories!

Baby Shower card details:
Stamps: Figures of Speech (SU!)
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette (SU!)
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: ribbon, embossing powder

I am taking constructive criticism. Please tell me what you think!

Sketch Saturday/Jewelry Inspiration

2008-11-24T11:56:00.009-06:00

I've been trying to create different sized cards lately...small 3x3, square 4x4 and other sizes. Not every card needs to be the standard 4¼x5½. How many cards do you buy that are the same size???

So in a not so great attempt at a 4x4, I used the sketch that Sketch Saturday issued in their challenge on Saturday.

And as usual, I was thrilled when Stacey's Stamping Stage put out her latest Jewelry Inspiration Challenge! I love how she uses the colors from pieces of gorgeous jewelry as her inspiration!!!

I'm going to admit that I'm not crazy about my card. I think I made it too small for either the colors or the sketch. I'm not really sure why. Constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated!

I think the card looks "crowded". What do you think?

Friend to Friend card details:
Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes (SU!)
Patterned Paper: DSP - unknown (SU!)
Ink: Versamark, Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss (SU!)
Accessories: flowers (Prima), buttons, embossing powder, scallop circle punch (SU!)

I am taking constructive criticism. Please tell me what you think!

Color Throwdown #20/Jehkotar Challenge #33

2008-11-24T11:19:00.008-06:00

I love the Color Throwdown! It's one of my favorite color challenges! This week's colors are fabulous (as usual), but for some reason I had a tough time working with them.

And a few weeks ago, I found a great sketch challenge at Jehkotar CardChallenge. I could see using the colors from the Throwdown with this sketch, no problem!

I really worked hard with these colors and the sketch. I think I created 4 other cards and threw them out because I thought they were terrible. I know I'm new, but take my word for it, they stunk!

I bought this great little stamp, Elf Anya, from Pink Poison a couple of weeks ago and this was the first time I used her. She's so sweet!!!

I really worked hard with these colors...but I hope you like her!

Merry card details:
Stamps: Elf Anya (Pink Poison), Ornamental Christmas (Verve)
Patterned Paper: DSP unknown (SU!)
Cardstock: Sage Shadown, Elegant Eggplant, Rudy Red, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink: StazOn jet black, Sage Shadown, Elegant Eggplant, Rudy Red, More Mustard (SU!)
Accessories: flowers (Prima), buttons, brads

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Friday's Sketchers Sketch #29

2008-11-24T10:52:00.007-06:00

I think I'm color challenged, lol.

I see a sketch I want to try out and I have a tough time coming up with a color scheme. I can't figure out what that is!

Ya'll all know I love challenges. They make me think, they really challenge me to come up with something new (for me) and different. But I really struggle with colors.

Friday Sketchers has great sketches...I just wish I did a better job of picking out colors. Anyway, here is this week's sketch.

I liked the long card and yes, it did challenge me. I don't usually do this size of card.

I used my new Poppy BittyBloom from Stamping Bella. Isn't she sweet! I love all the BittyBlooms!!!!!

I tried to use all autumnal colors and I think I did a pretty good job. Not just with the paper, but also with the sketch. You tell me!

Give Thanks card details:
Stamps: Poppy BittyBloom (Stamping Bella), Tall Oaks (Verve)
Patterned Paper: DSP - unknown (SU!)
Cardstock: Handsome Hunter, Bravo Burgundy, Old Olive, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink: StazOn jet black, Handsome Hunter, Really Rust, Pumpkin Pie, Bravo Burgundy, Blush Blossom (SU!)
Accessories: brads, flowers (Prima)

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Gone With the Wind

2008-11-20T14:55:00.012-06:00

WOW! Gone With the Wind has got to be my all time favorite novels (yes, I've read it) and one of my favorite movies! And being a "southern girl", it's a must in our reading and viewing pleasures. I was so excited when I figured out this week's movie for the Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge #6 was Gone With the Wind!!!

I based my creation on a fan, one of many, that was in my grandmother's trousseau. The fan is ivory (yes, I know, that's a huge no-no today) and it is carved with snowflakes. I asked my grandmother why, and she told me that she loved snow and that her father bought it for her on a winter trip he took to New York before she married.

Fans were an absolute must for a southern girl...it's hot down here in the summer! And a "proper" southern girl doesn't sweat. She "glows" or "mists" and the hand fan was the only real form of cooling for a woman. The fan was also VERY important in the world of romance. Imagine, flirting with your eyes across the room with Rhett Butler, lol!

I found the template for the fan at Mirkwood Designs, and the directions were very easy. I can see making more of these! Her design was very simple and direct. Check it out!

I think my only problem was shading the fan "blades" with the blue ink. Shading it really wasn't the problem, getting it to show in the pictures was! I think I took 20 pics, and not one really showed good. I promise the fan is much prettier IRL.

After my grandmother passed away, my mom took all of her fans and had them put in shadow boxes. She made sure they were protected as best as we could. The fans are all gorgeous, and I'm so glad I asked Grandma about them. Each of her fans has a little story.

Fan details:
Stamps: Snowflakes (Inkadinkado)
Paper: Very Vanilla
Ink: Versamark Watermark, Bashful Blue (SU!)
Accessories: ribbon, embossing powder, cosmetic sponges

Now for a little fun fact of my own...my grandparents were at the Atlanta premiere of Gone With the Wind in 1939. My grandmother only spoke about it briefly, saying that Clark Gable was very handsome, and she thought that Vivien Leigh was not as pretty as she thought that Scarlett needed to be, lol!

I hope you like the fan! And thanks for looking!

Happy Birthday!

2008-11-19T09:39:00.013-06:00

There are so many fabulous blogs out there. I can't begin to tell ya'll how much I enjoy learning from so many wonderful bloggers! My only wish is that I lived closer to them. That way I could pick their brains more, lol!

I absolutely love the sketches that are at 2 Sketches 4 You. They are what I call "versatile" with the ability to go from simple to elegant to funny with just one element. Great sketch huh??

I need to replenish my stock of birthday cards, and I think I've made a good start. I tried to use some of my new copic markers...I think I need to take a class on how to buy them (and what) and then use them.

I do love my Bella's!!! And I think this one is my favorite stamp of all!

Happy Birthday card details:
Stamps: cuppacakeabella (Bella Stamps), Fancy Florals (Verve)
Paper: Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Rose Red (SU!)
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Rose Red (SU!)
Accessories: embossing powder, ribbon

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Happy Birthday...

2008-11-19T08:40:00.012-06:00

I admit that I usually overthink when making a card. I have the perfect excuse, lol. When I first started scrapbooking, I was taught by a wonderful young woman, Jessica, and we created what were called the "50 pound" pages, lol!

So over-embellishing and weighing down my cards come naturally. I really have to push myself to keep to simple and clean designs. To not overuse something (like glitter) and let the card make itself.

I surprised myself last night. I got the colors from Kristina Werner's Design Blog challenge and sat down to make a card for it. I have a process, get the colors out in both ink and paper and go from there. Look for stamps that I think will work and then do a quick search for patterned paper.

Then I found a new challenge...A Spoon Full of Sugar and you were to use flowers, paper, stamps, etc. I just couldn't find any patterned paper that I could see on the card.

But the colors this week are gorgeous! And you'd think flowers would be easy. I really expected something "more", but I am truly happy with my card. Keeping it simple was simple.

I used a stamp that I bought after Kristina made a fabulous card with it. I love it! I can see using this stamp a lot!

Simple, easy peasy, no fuss right?

Happy Birthday card details:
Stamps: Flirty Play (My Mind's Eye), Fancy Florals (Verve)
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron (SU!)
Accessories: ribbon, scallop circle punch, ¾" circle punch

Please tell me what's good and bad about it! And thanks for looking!

Mojo Monday...on a Tuesday? Again?

2008-11-18T12:21:00.011-06:00

In the hurry of a not so normal Monday, I forgot to check out the sketch at Poetic Artistry. I can't believe I did that!

Great sketch huh? I sat down last night to work on it (no, Mia was NOT sleeping), and I saw this great paper I bought on another road trip! BoBunny!!! Who doesn't love BoBunny paper! And then I really screwed up! ARGH!

I'm posting the card, booboo and everything. I was supposed to put 3 brads, eyelets, something at the top of the main image...And I had the brads sitting there right in front of me, but for some reason, I forgot to put them. And I used permanent adhesive so I couldn't take the card apart! WAAAAA!

I still like my card...and the red and blue of the patterned paper is so different. This could become a favorite paper for me.

Friendship card details:
Stamps: dots (Art Warehouse), bird (Martha Stewart), sentiment (Artful Inkables)
Patterned Paper: Santorini Mediterrani (BoBunny)
Cardstock: Pacific Point, Real Red, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink: Pacific Point, Real Red, Creamy Caramel (SU!)
Accessories: ribbon, scallop punch (fiskars), vellum

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Today's Last Post

2008-11-17T16:16:00.009-06:00

I promise this will be my last post for the day...I'm still doing laundry and getting ready to start dinner, lol. I'm going to work on a few more projects tonight, but I'll have to wait until tomorrow to post them. Aren't ya'll glad? LOL!

I got this great stamp set (and my first) from Taylored Expressions! The cupcakes are just too cute! And on Fridays, she has a challenge. For the first time, I got to use one of her stamps and participate in her challenge! WOW! I'm so excited!

This is the sketch for the Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #42.

And here is my entry!

Home Sweet Home card details:
Stamps: Home Sweet Home (Taylored Expressions)
Cardstock: Bravo Burgundy (SU!), random Bazzill cardstock,
Patterned Paper: really old scrap of patterned paper (LOL!)
Ink: StazOn jet black, Bravo Burgundy, Really Rust, Lavender Lace, Close to Cocoa (SU!)
Accessories: glitter (MM)

Weekend Sketch Challenge #66/Jewelry Color Inspiration #12

2008-11-17T11:24:00.009-06:00

Beate is one of my favorite stampers! I love all the cards she creates! So, I always try to use her sketches.

And Stacey, at Stacey's Stamping Stage, must love jewelry (just like me)! She has a fabulous color inspiration based on jewelry she finds online. And the colors...they are fabulous too!

I bought some new Bella Stamps last week, and I was in a rush to use them. I bought all of the new Bitty Blooms, and they are so sweet! So I thought, use one of them, with Stacey's colors and Beate's sketch! WOW! I just love how it came out!

BittyBloom card details:
Stamps: Daisy BittyBloom (Stamping Bella), sentiment (Artful Inkables)
Paper: Whisper White, Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, Only Orange (SU!)
Ink: Mellow Moss, Only Orange (SU!)
Accessories: stickles, ribbon, rhinestone flowers

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Stamp Something & Kaboodle Doodle Challenge #12

2008-11-17T10:42:00.006-06:00

I case a lot of blogs...and I do mean a lot. I am always updating my bookmarks, looking for blogs that truly inspire me. Stamp Something is one of those. I always see soemthing that I really like. This week, I decided to join in their sketch challenge.

And, Kaboodle Blog has a great challenge to create a monochromatic card. It was easier than I thought it would be...but that could just be my imagination, lol.

So, I used a new set of stamps, Tall Oaks, that I bought from Verve and got to work. I have this really great patterned paper somewhere in my mess of a house, but I couldn't find it (typical). So I worked strictly with cardstock. I also used a stamp from a set that I bought from Target's dollar bins! I stamped the background with a little versamark. TOO CUTE!

Tall Oaks card details:
Stamps: Tall Oaks (Verve), $1 stamp set (Target)
Paper: Whisper White, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Versamark
Accessories: brads

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Color Throwdown #19/Sketch Saturday #25

2008-11-17T10:02:00.011-06:00

I had a great weekend, I hope ya'll did too! I got a chance to crop/stamp and that's always a huge plus for me.

A couple of weeks ago, my favorite local scrapbook store closed. She hadn't ordered new product in a long while, and there was no cardstock left. I can't crop without cardstock!!! So, yesterday, my friend Mel, and 2 of my daughters...well, we took a road trip to Memory Mania! I bought some cardstock, some new patterned paper (mostly Christmas) and a Disney scrapbook! I've been looking forever, and I hadn't seen anything I liked until yesterday.

I got home in a great mood and I started working on a few cards. I combined the Sketch Saturday and Color Throwdown challenges. The colors were Whisper White, Bordering Blue, Not Quite Navy and Bravo Burgundy. Man this was a hard combo!

And I used this fabulous sketch! And I really thought (and I was right) that it challenge me to think!

Sorry that my card is so dark, my backyard was so shady and I couldn't get a lot of sunlight. Hopefully, I'll finish doing the "deep" cleaning of my kitchen that I've started for the holidays, and I can try inside.

Christmas Wishes card details:
Stamps: Ornamental Chirstmas (Verve)
Paper: Whisper White, Bordering Blue, Not Quite Navy, Bravo Burgundy (SU!)
Ink: Bordering Blue, Bravo Burgundy (SU!)
Accessories: silver embossing powder, ribbon

Weekend Sketch Challenge #65/Color Inspiration #30

2008-11-12T13:33:00.010-06:00

I love to combine challenges! I find it's easier for me (being a beginner). Sometimes I look at a sketch and I can't find a way to start. And sometimes, I find a group of colors and the ideas just don't come to me.

So when I find a great sketch, like I always find at Beate's fresh & fun site, I really try hard to use it.

And when I find a fabulous combination of colors, like at Kristina Werner's Design blog, it makes me really happy to be able to combine the two!

Fabulous colors! Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Sahara Sand and Whisper White! Unfortunately, I didn't have anymore Sahara Sand {GASP!}, so I used some bazzill cardstock I had in my scrap pile.

Simple, clean, I like it!

Thanks So Much card details:
Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes (SU!)
Paper: Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Whisper White (SU!), bazzill
Ink: Old Olive
Accessories: 1 1/4" & 1 3/8" circle punch

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Our Creative Corner Inspiration Challenge

2008-11-12T13:08:00.006-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I finally broke down and ordered stamps from Taylored Expressions. I love those stamps, but I knew if I ordered just once, I would want more. She's got cupcakes everywhere and I love cupcakes!

I also have on my list of challenges one from Our Creative Corner. The minute I saw this picture, I knew exactly what stamps I had to use!

So I hauled out my stamps, inks and paper and got to work. The holly leaves are from Quickutz and I knew I just had to use them. I used some scraps of green paper, and Stickles work with everything!

Falalalala card details:
Stamps: Home Sweet Home (Taylored Expressions)
Paper: Whisper White (SU!), red & green (random)
Ink: Real Red, Green Galore, Close to Cocoa (SU!)
Accessories: Quickutz RS-0477, ribbon, stickles

I loved working with this stamp and I can't wait to get more!

Lunchtime Sketch Challenge #43

2008-11-12T12:29:00.008-06:00

Monday's are not good days for me. I try to get some kind of housework done, laundry finished and, being from New Orleans, I have some kind of pot of beans on the stove all day. Makes for an interesting day.

But first thing everyday, I do my surfing and print all the challenges that I case. And this Monday was no different. Techno Stamper has such great sketches!

I found a great color combo as well BUT I didn't write down the website. The colors were Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Basic Black and Really Rust...well, let's say these were my color choices.

I'm actually pretty happy with the way the card came out...and I got to use this great little sentiment stamp that I got as a thank you from Artful Inkables. Down here, we call that langiappe (lang-yap), which means a little something extra.

Absolutely Fabulous card details:
Stamps: Eastern Blooms (SU!), sentiment (Artful Inkables)
Paper: dsp, Chocolate Chip, Basic Black, Whisper White, Really Rust (SU!)
Ink: Old Olive, Really Rust (SU!), StazOn Jet Black
Accessories: buttons (random)

I hope you like my card! And thanks for looking!

Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge #5

2008-11-12T12:04:00.008-06:00

Everyone knows how much I enjoy all the card challenges out there. I consider them a test of how well I'm learning and how far I still need to go.

So imagine how excited I was on Saturday when I surfed to the Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge and saw that this week's movie selection was Memoirs of a Geisha! Love that movie!!! So I'm sitting there thinking what kind of card I could do and, BLAM!, I realize I don't have any asian themed paper, stamps, nothing! HUGE BUMMER!

Anywho, I was at my local Michael's store yesterday and I walked down the aisle to see what rubber stamps they had, and what did I see but a Inkadinkado stamp display and there was this asian stamp set yelling at me! I scooped it up, and as soon as Mia fell asleep last night, I put together a simple card.

I kept it short (and since Mia doesn't sleep for long periods of time) and sweet. It's an okay card, I'm not in love with it, but I think it came out ok.

Asian card details:
Stamps: Asian Influences (Inkadinkado)
Paper: Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink: StazOn Jet Black
Accessories: Versamark, embossing powder, ribbon

I hope you've enjoyed my card. Thanks for looking!

CCEE Stamp Challenge

2008-11-10T15:23:00.016-06:00

I'm not feeling the stamps today :(

So I was so excited to see that the challenge today for the CCEE Stampers was a coaster challenge! No mesh here though, I don't like the stuff, and it never works for me. Maybe I'm meshed-challenged?

So I created a calendar...something for December, something to go on my refrigerator. So I put a magnet on the back! VIOLA!

Came out pretty great, if I have to say so myself.

Coaster magnet details:
Paper: Oh What Fun (Three Bugs in a Rug/Reindeer Games), Whisper White (SU!)
Accessories: coaster, ribbon, Printable Calendars

DISCLAIMER: I did NOT liberate this particular coaster from a restaurant. I do admit to having a selection of them however. I apologize to all the Outback Steakhouse's, Chili's, CuCo's restaurants out there. I am an equal opportunity coaster lifter.

SCS Christmas Tree Box

2008-11-10T12:42:00.014-06:00

Last week ended sort of bad...Jerry (dh) was supposed to have a procedure, and it got bungled up on the doctor's side. So I guess this week is going to be messed up too.

So I spent this morning printing out all the challenges I want to work on, and hopefully I'll get a chance to do them all (that is if Mia cooperates, lol).

I love Splitcoast Stampers! They have some of the best people on that blog! The best tutorials! They understand that many of us (namely me) are learning.

So this morning's challenge, Try a New Technique, was to use a template that was provided and decorate a Christmas Tree Box! WOW! How much fun that was! I'm pretty happy with it!

Pardon the dust on my chandelier, lol. I don't have time this week to dust it!

I hope you like it. I'm off to make a few more!

Christmas Tree details:
Stamps: Swirl Style (SU!)
Paper: Pink Pirouette (SU!)
Ink: Versamark Watermark Stamp Pad
Accessories: Heat and stick powder, ultrafine glitter, pearl beads, ribbon, Prima Fancies

Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration #29

2008-11-05T23:12:00.009-06:00

I'm really diggin' this fairy stamp! I can't seem to put it down! And Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration #29 had such bright, vibrant colors that I could just see all over that stamp!

The colors this week are Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Elegant Eggplant, Taken With Teal and Pacific Point. What a fabulous color combination!!!

I toned down the Taken With Teal for the leaf and dress of the fairy. I didn't realize how close the Pacific Point and Teal were, and at first, I couldn't tell which one was which, lol. And the Pumpkin Pie was the perfect accent color!

And since it's fairies, I continued with my stickles...I love that stuff! The pictures are a little dark, but I was trying to get them posted before I went to bed.

Fairy card details:
Stamps: Beautiful Fairies (Inkadinkado)
Paper: Jersey Shore (dsp-SU!)
Cardstock: Pacific Point, Taken With Teal, Elegant Eggplant, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink: Pacific Point, Taken With Teal, Elegant Eggplant, Pumpkin Pie (SU!)
Accessories: ribbon (random), 1" and 1¼ circle punch, stickles

I hope I haven't bored you with the fairies. I promise (hopefully) that I won't use them for a while, lol! Thanks for looking!

Color Throwdown #18/CCEE Stampers Challenges!

2008-11-05T22:36:00.009-06:00

Quiet house, lots of cards...and boy-o-boy did I have fun!

I found yet another challenge, a sketch challenge, at CCEE Stampers and I combined it with another of my favorite challenges at Color Throwdown.

I have to admit I didn't see the part about using eyelets. I did read the part about changing the square on the card to another shape, so why didn't I see the addition of eyelets? Hmmmm...

The Color Throwdown colors are Old Olive, Chocolate Chip and Pale Plum. I had to use a little Perfect Plum ink. I needed to do a little more work on the fairy and I couldn't keep adding more and more of the Pale Plum. I think it looks great!

I'm really loving this stamp from Inkadinkado Stamps. This is the sweetest fairy and the stamp is so versatile.

I hand wrote the sentiment. It's not my best handwriting, but when I give cards to friends and family, I usually do all the sentiments by hand. I should have practised a little before I wrote it.

Dream card details:
Stamps: Beautiful Fairies (Inkadinkado)
Paper: Old Olive DSP (SU!)
Cardstock: Whisper White, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Pale Plum (SU!)
Ink: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Pale Plum, Perfect Plum (SU!)
Accessories: Ribbon (PTI), Cuttlebug, Nestabilities Scallop Circles, blender pen, stickles

I hope you enjoyed my card, and I really hope you like that fairy! It's quickly becoming my favorite stamp! Thanks for looking!

Another Day, Another Sketch

2008-11-05T16:28:00.012-06:00

I found a great sketch and a fabulous color combination yesterday, and this is the first chance I've had to work on either of them. The sketch is from i{heart}2stamp and the color combo is from Splitcoast Stampers.

I'm learning how to translate a sketch to where it doesn't totally intimidate me, and how to use the stamps I already own. I honestly can't afford to buy everything I want, and I absolutely don't have the room to store them all, lol!

I have taught myself to find the main stamp I want to use and go from there...is that right? So, I picked a new stamp set I just got from Inkadinkado and went from there.

I also used my blender pen, and I kept true to the color palette. I'm much more used to a paint brush, and as I've said before, I'm learning. It's a little harder than I expected but I hope that I'll get used to the pens. I liked how it came out!

What do ya'll think?? I admit I didn't like the wings of my fairy, but add a little stickles and I loved them! Stickles fixes everything!!!

Sweetest card details:
Stamps: Beautiful Fairies (Inkadinkado Stamps), Crazy For Cupcakes (SU!)
Paper: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, SU! dsp (SU!)
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red (SU!), StazOn Jet Black
Accessories: stickles, embossing powder, blender pen, fiskar scallop punch, ribbon

Thanks for looking! I hope ya'll enjoy my card!

Papertake Weekly & Secret Crafter Saturday Challenges

2008-11-05T16:00:00.011-06:00

Mia's behaving!!! So I actually have some time to work on stuff. I've started putting together her Disney World scrapbook, and I've found some time to work on some cards.

The Papertake Weekly Challenge was to add some sparkles to a card. And the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge was to use the above sketch and use the colors pink, brown and white. And despite my disorganized table, my stamps all over the place and trying to learn and do something a little different, I got a card done! I used some sparkly embossing powder, but that didn't sparkle much, so after trying that on one of the snowflakes, I decided to stickle the other. And both look terrific!

I can't seem to get a good picture of the glitter...the backyard is too shady. I'll keep trying, but I'm not sure I'll get one.

HoHoHolidays card details:
Stamps: Snow Burst & Ho-Ho-Holidays (SU!)
Paper: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip (SU!)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (SU!), Versamark WaterMark Stamp Pad
Accessories: Stickles, random ribbon, embossing powders

I hope you like my card! Please check out the above challenges. And thanks for looking!

Mojo Monday...on a Tuesday?

2008-11-04T11:27:00.012-06:00

As much as I hate the idea of Mondays, I really wish mine were a bit longer. I never seem to get the laundry 100% done, the bathrooms completely cleaned, and the kitchen mopped, lol. I definately don't usually get much stamping/scrapping time on a Monday.

I did finally get a chance to create a card for Mojo Monday this morning. WOW! What a great sketch! I've never really had a chance to use one of her sketches, so go easy on me, lol!

I think I said in an earlier post that I have lots of friends birthdays over the next 2 months...and I need lots of birthday cards! Another neighbor's favorite colors are a lavender and mossy green so I chose Lavender Lace and Sage Shadow. They are the closest to the colors she loves.

I'm pretty happy with the way the card translated...

Birthday Cheer card details:
Stamps: Lots of Thoughts and Crazy for Cupcakes (SU!)
Paper: Lavender Lace, Sage Shadow, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink: Lavender Lace, Sage Shadow, Ruby Red (SU!), StazOn Jet Black
Accessories: ribbon, pop dots

Please check out Mojo Monday challenge. And thanks for looking!

Jewelry Color Inspiration Challenge #10/Laura's Sketch #12

2008-11-03T16:48:00.014-06:00

WOW! I'm having a blast! Two more challenges...the Jewelry Color Inspiration Challenge #10 from Stacey's Stamping Stage and Laura's Sketch #12 from 2 Sketches 4 You.

I have to admit, I had a tough time with this card, the translations of colors and layout were hard for me. I don't know why though. But in the end, I came up with this card, and I'm really happy with it.

Please, if you have criticisms, good or bad, please leave them in a comment to me. I do read them. I'm learning and the only way to keep learning is to find out what I'm doing wrong, or what I could do better.

I hope you like it! Please check out the above challenges. And thanks for looking!

Best Wishes card details:
Stamps: Big Pieces, Cute & Curly (SU!)
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip,Tangerine Tango, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Tangerine Tango, Tempting Turquoise (SU!)
Accessories: Cuttlebug, dotted swiss embossing folder, Curly Label & various circle punches (SU!), Fiskar Scalloped punch, Stickles

Cupcake Craft Challenge #12/Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge #42

2008-11-03T16:10:00.015-06:00

I live for challenges!!! Kind of pathetic, lol.

I found another challenge, the Cupcake Craft Challenge. We could use the picture for inspirations...the colors, patterns, whatever! I love that! I teamed the colors up with the Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge sketch from Techno Stamper.

I used Pacific Point, Purely Pomegranate and Very Vanilla, and I have to admit that I really like the way the card came out. I'm learning so much from doing all these challenges!

Please, if you have criticisms, good or bad, please leave them in a comment to me. I do read them. I'm learning and the only way to keep learning is to find out what I'm doing wrong, or what I could do better.

I hope you like it! Please check out the above challenges. And thanks for looking!

Thank You card details:

Stamps: Too Terrific Tags (SU!)
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Pacific Point, Purely Pomegranate (SU!)
Ink: Purely Pomegranate (SU!), Versamark Watermark Stamp Pad
Accessories: Purely Pomegranate ribbon (SU!), embossing powder, lg. & sm. tag punches (SU!)

Quiet time...

2008-11-03T09:06:00.007-06:00

Last week was wonderful...Jerry and I had our home to ourselves for the first time in 28 years, lol. All 3 of our girls, and our granddaughter, Mia, went to Disney World!

We did some work around the house. We've been trying to finish up all the little projects left after our rebuild from Katrina. It's mostly trimwork that's needed, and we did manage to get a lot of it done. The den is still the room with the most work needed, but getting some of it done was nice.

I refuse to take pictures of the house, it really depresses me that my house isn't finished. Three years is long enough. I worry that Jerry "thinks" that if he finishes, there won't be anything left for him to do, lol. I keep assuring him that is SO not the case!

But for your enjoyment, here are a few pictures from Disney World!

Mia loves Snow White...and Snow White was so happy to see Mia in the same costume as her! Mia isn't crazy about the 7 dwarfs...but she braved their gauntlet to have her picture taken with Snow White.

Pochahantas!!! Mia loves that movie! And she was thrilled to see Pochahantas! The girls had to hold her back in the line, make her wait her turn!

And the Fairy Godmother!!! WOW! They were lucky to find her, most of our friends have trouble finding her.

Everyone was so glad to get home! And Jerry and I had to admit that we missed them, especially Mia. Everyone had a great time!

Fifty Is Nifty!!!

2008-11-02T15:41:00.016-06:00

Today is Pam's birthday. Pam is my next door neighbor. She's the big 50!!!!! Her birthday marks the beginning of what all the neighbor's call the Big Birthday Bash! We will all turn the same age over the next 2 months. There's quite a few of us, lol.

As I'm still catching up from last week, I decided to make Pam a card, and combine it with this week's Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge, GREASE!!!

I had sort of planned a card in my head last week, and had thought simple was better, lol. But I really wanted to do something nice for her. So this is what I came up with.

While I was making that card, I kept seeing something different in my head, but to be honest the next card wasn't it. I'll keep trying.

It's still cute, but I think I'll keep this for a teen birthday or something.

I hope you like it! Please check out the Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge. Thanks for looking!

Skirt Card details:

Stamps: SU!
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette (SU!)
Ink: StazOn Jet Black
Accessories: Quickutz die #RS-0711, Marvy Giga Scalloped Square Punch, white satin ribbon

Silhouette Card details:

Stamps: SU!
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Regal Rose (SU!)
Ink: StazOn Jet Black
Accessories: Quickutz die #RS-0709, Nestabilities scalloped circles, Stickles

Have you ever...

2008-10-27T11:21:00.009-05:00

Have you ever made yourself so miserable in a effort to make someone so happy?

Have you ever hurt yourself to make someone's day better?

This past Saturday, Macy's FINALLY reopened. My middle daughter, Lore, had worked for them for 6 years prior to Hurricane Katrina. Macy's decided to close the 2 (two) stores they had here.

About a year ago, Macy's decided to refurbish the store that Lore had worked in (Esplanade Mall), as well as build a new free-standing store at Lakeside Mall. The grand openings were to be huge events...all those stars that you see on their commercials were here.

Of course, the opening at the Lakeside Mall store was much bigger, and they had most of the stars there. But Esplanade Mall had their share, and I was avoiding the mall like I would the plague, lol.

However, Saturday afternoon, Lore calls me in a total panic. Genevieve and DC of ChooChoo Soul were performing and they had started! Throw Mia in my car and get there!!!

I'm old, and my body creaks, lol. I can't move fast!!! But I did hurry Mia into the car, drive as fast as legally possible and actually found a parking space! I didn't bother with Mia's stroller, instead I grabbed her out of her car seat and carried her into the store as fast as I could. We missed the performance BUT I heard that Genevieve and DC would be out again in a few minutes to sign autographs and take pictures with the kids. So I planted myself in that line, lol.

Mia didn't know why we were there, and I wasn't sure how much her little 2 year old brain could process, but when Genevieve came out, the look on Mia's face was priceless. She got to see her 2 favorite Disney Channel people!

My aching back, sore knee and stiff shoulder didn't bother me, not after I saw how happy Mia was!

I know it's not the best picture BUT Mia doesn't care. It's Choo Choo Soul!

Weekend Sketch Challenge #63

2008-10-26T17:41:00.012-05:00

I've never been brave enough to try one of Beate's challenges. She has fabulous challenges over on Splitcoast Stamper's. I admire her talents so much, I've always been a little intimidated.

But, as part of my learning process, I "forced" myself to try one...the Weekend Sketch Challenge.

This sketch didn't turn out to be too hard...but, I do have to admit that I had to think about how to use the paper in the right way. In the long run, however, I love the way it came out!

I want to post the card at SplitCoast, but I'm not sure I'm brave enough, lol!

"Halloween" card details:
Stamp - Batty For You (SU!)
Paper - Frightful Collection (Little Yellow Bicycle)
Cardstock - Black, Orange (Bazzil)
Ink - Basic Black (SU!)
Misc. - Ribbon (random), chipboard circle (Little Yellow Bicycle), Circle scallop punch (SU!), scallop punch (Fiskar's)

Friday's Sketchers Sketch #25

2008-10-26T17:29:00.011-05:00

I found another challenge, Friday's Sketcher's, and I stuck with a Halloween theme. I had the paper, ribbon and embellishments all around me, and this one was super easy.

I really had to think this one out, but I am happy with the end results. The little spiders are leftovers from a small book I cased from my local scrapbook store owner, but I couldn't resist. I'll post it as soon as I get the pictures from Disney, where my granddaughter is spending Halloween!

Cute huh? I'm really happy with the way it came out!

"Shadows Of A Thousand Years" card details:
Paper - Frightful Collection (Little Yellow Bicycle)
Ink - Basic Black (SU!)
Misc. - Ribbon (random), ghost, spiders and poem (Little Yellow Bicycle)

ScrapShanty Card Challenge #4

2008-10-26T15:57:00.018-05:00

My friend, Mel, at the ScrapShanty, has come up with another great challenge!

We were to use Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, More Mustard, and Baja Breeze. We were also given a sketch to use, if we wanted to.

I used the sketch with the appropriate colors of paper. I stamped the image of fall leaves, I just wish we had "fall" so I could appreciate the colors more, lol. I also used a piece of vellum paper (I'm not sure if this is SU! or not). The card is ok, I'm not 100% crazy about it.

I had plenty of stuff leftover, and I came up with a second card...

Now this card is much more to my liking...I just couldn't use the sketch - it didn't "talk" to me, lol.

"Thank You" card details:
Stamps - Lovely As A Tree, Fresh Cuts (SU!)
Cardstock - Chocolate Chip,Really Rust,More Mustard,Baja Breeze,Very Vanilla (SU!)
Ink - Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, More Mustard (SU!)
Misc. - vellum (?)

"Stars" card details:
Stamp - In The Stars (SU!)
Cardstock - Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, More Mustard, Baja Breeze (SU!)
Ink - Baja Breeze (SU!)
Misc. - embossing powder, small star punch (SU!),ribbon (SU!)

i{heart}2stamp's Hooray for Saturday Challenge!

2008-10-26T15:13:00.013-05:00

I found a bunch of new challenges...I'm always on the lookout for them. This challenge is from Jen del Muro of i{heart}2stamp! I think I did a pretty good job on the card...ya'll tell me!

This was the sketch we were to follow. The sketch was easier than I thought it would be, but then, I'm in a Halloween card mood, and I had all the stuff all around me.

"Witchful Thinking" card details:
Stamp - Fright Night (The Cat's Pajamas)
Paper - Frightful Collection (Little Yellow Bicycle)
Cardstock - Black, Orange (Bazzill Basics)
Ink - Black (StazOn)
Misc. - Circle Scallop Punch (SU!)

Color Throwdown #16/Dutch-Dare Challenge # 20

2008-10-24T08:56:00.023-05:00

WOW! What a great color combination that those fabulous ladies at the Color Throwdown have given us this week...Ballet Blue, Green Galore, Creamy Caramel and Chocolate Chip. And I teamed it up with a new sketch challenge I found this week from Dutch Dare - Card Challenges.

I couldn't get to the card right away, and when I had 10 seconds to think, all I could envision was something outside, something pastoral. Silly huh? But I did get an idea, and it boiled in my brain all day today. Finally, I got to sit down and work on the card...and then, none of my stamp sets were right, awful huh? AND I was out of Chocolate Chip cardstock!!! DISASTER! (it's on order thank goodness, lol) Then I remembered a stamp set that I had bought for Father's Day from Papertrey Ink. They were just perfect!

I stamped the image, then stamped over it with Versamark and then embossed it. I used cosmetic sponges to rub a little of each of the colors onto the paper...WOW! I was so proud of the way it came out!

I also pierced the paper (as per the sketch) and I think it adds the finishing touch!

I think I'm getting a little better, no, I know I'm getting better. I'm not letting the new techniques intimidate me as much.

"You Are My Hero" card details:
Stamp - Father Knows Best (PTI)
Cardstock - Whisper White, Ballet Blue, Green Galore, Creamy Caramel (SU!)
Ink - Ballet Blue, Green Galore, Creamy Caramel (SU!), Versamark Watermark Stamp Pad
Misc. - Marvy punch, embossing powder (random), satin ribbon (random)

Ya'll need to try out this challenge! They are such a blast! And thanks for looking!

I'm on a challenge roll!

2008-10-23T19:03:00.021-05:00

I've been trying to learn and do more with my stamping the last couple of weeks. Right now, my life is extremely hectic and stressful, and I need to escape for a little while at least.

This week's challenges, well I've slowly been working through them. I can't always complete them by the deadline, but I do try. So onto the challenges...

Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration #27 has great colors, and it co-insides with a couple of challenges from Splitcoast Stampers.

Kristina's color inspiration was a picture of her favorite brand of nail polish. Too cute! We could use any color of red...the darkest reds to the lightest pinks.

Then Splitcoast Stampers had 2 challenges that I chose to work on. I had never participated in any of their challenges (let's face it, those ladies are fabulous and I'm totally intimidated). This sketch was one challenge (SC#199), and the other you had to use pink and a one word title (WT#189). This was a lot harder than I thought it would be.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness, I knew the stamp I wanted to use, my Bella Stamps. I have "Causabella" and I've never used her, but she was perfect for this challenge.

ARGH! Ya'll should have told me I was rattlin' on...really, really bad habit of mine, lol. Anyway, I hope ya'll enjoy my card.

"Believe" card details:
Stamp - Causabella (Bella Stamps)
Cardstock - Whisper White, Pirouette Pink, Regal Rose, Rose Red(SU!)
Ink - Creamy Caramel, Regal Rose, Rose Red, Bravo Burgundy, StazOn Jet Black
Misc. - Stickles (Fruit Punch), Prima fabric flower, random brad, MM rub-on letters

Please check out these challenges. And thanks for looking!

What's wrong with me?? LOL!

2008-10-21T16:18:00.014-05:00

I've been working. I don't know exactly where it's all coming from, but I'm happy.

ScrapShanty had one last week, and today was the last day. My friend, Mel, wanted us to create a Christmas card using non-traditional colors. Red or green but not both. It was harder than you think!

I think it came out pretty well. I was a little disappointed that the glitter on the snowflake doesn't show up better. Oh, well, next time.

Scrap Shanty card details:
Stamps - Holly Jolly Christmas (Studio G)
Cardstock - Soft Sky(SU!)
Patterned Paper - Rhonda Farrer (Autumn Leaves)
Ribbon - Certainly Celery, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink - StazOn Jet Black
Misc. - stickles glitter glue, Fiskar's punch

Check out their challenges! I had a blast! And thanks for looking!

Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge #2

2008-10-21T12:54:00.015-05:00

I read a lot of blogs, and one of my newest finds, Sankari's Sunshine Corner has a new challenge, the Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge. I missed the first challenge, Pride and Prejudice, but I was determined to play this week.

Breakfast at Tiffany's is one of my favorite books and movies. Truman Capote wrote a wonderful novel, and Audrey Hepburn was the perfect Holly Golightly in the movie.

The clothes are fabulous! I wish I had her silhouette! I watch that movie every time it comes on television, and Moon River was a piece of music I won several piano competitions with...I still hum it!

I thought long and hard about a card, and I realized Monday morning, that I was overthinking it. I prefer simple and sweet cards, not necessarily fast though. I pulled out all my cardstock, and chose Soft Sky (SU!) as my color of choice. A little white satin ribbon, the correct sentiment and I was in business!

I wanted my card to remind ya'll of a box from Tiffany's store. I think I accomplished that. I was lucky enough to get one box when I was 17 (a high school graduation gift), and I've saved it all these years.

I hope ya'll will enjoy my card. I'm sorry they aren't as bright as I had hoped for, not sure what's going on in my house.

Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge details:
Stamps - Heard From the Heart (SU!)
Cardstock - Soft Sky(SU!)
Ribbon - white satin (unknown)
Ink - Versamark Watermark Stamp Pad
Misc. - white embossing powder, pearl beads

Try out the challenge! I thoroughly enjoyed myself! And thanks for looking!

ScrapShanty Birthday Challenges

2008-10-19T17:50:00.018-05:00

Hi!

I've been working hard (hahaha, yeah right, lol) at some challenges that are being hosted at Scrapshanty! They've been celebrating their birthday and have some really great challenges! And I actually got a couple of them done! WOW!

The first challenge I participated in was the "birthday bash challenge". We were to create a 2 page layout, using the specified sketch, and we had to use buttons, ribbon, numbers, and strip journalling. I chose Lore's birthday to crop, since those pictures were on my table.

Then you had to create a card using the scraps of the layout...not that hard and sort of nice to go right into the card since all the stuff was already there, lol.

I added some studs that I have had for ages...I will say that the studs weren't the easiest things to work with. The studs came off on my fingers, the glue was horrible too! I have quite a bit of the studs left, but I don't know if I'll be using them again anytime soon.

Time being what it was (short), I combined 2 other challenges, Think Pink and Do Me Ad...and I'm really happy with the way it came out.

Mia was 2 months old when this portrait was taken, she was so cute! I had the one pose printed in the sepia tone, and it's one of my favorites. When I finish the second page, I'll post it.

"27" Page/Birthday card details:
Paper - Tinkering Ink Gibson (this paper is double-sided)
Embellishments - Buttons Galore, numbers - Tinkering Ink, random ribbons, Say It With Studs

Think Pink/Do Me Ad Challenge details:
Cardstock - Dark Mostly Mauve (Color Mates), Whisper White & River Rock (SU!)
Patterned Paper - Ginger Blossom DSP (SU!)
Ribbon - River Rock & Groovy Guava (SU!)
Glitter Letters - Melissa Francis
Various punches

I hope you enjoy what I've created!

A little note...

2008-10-17T13:00:00.005-05:00

I've had a lot of emails and comments saying how cute my snowglobe is (on the left of my blog).

But it's not a snowglobe, per se, it's a clock!!!

I thought it was so cute, much better than the traditional clock I had there in the beginning. Click on it, and you can get one of your own!

Lotsa Challenges...

2008-10-16T11:44:00.028-05:00

I'm beginning to think I'm sort of pathetic...I live for Wednesdays, lol. I love the color/blog challenges, and I think I'm learning a lot. I've taught myself how to heat emboss, how to use a stamp-a-ma-jig, what inks to use, and how to take a sketch and make it my own.

I also love looking at the different entries to those challenges. I try to see each and every one. I also try to leave comments... I think it's important that I make sure that each person knows how much I'm learning by seeing what they've done.

So, that brings me to this week's challenges...

Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration #26 is first. She chose great colors - Rose Red, Bashful Blue, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi and Whisper White.

Great colors! Happy! This is my take on it. Now, I know I saw a card(s) last week with a similar layout. I sketched it into my sketch book, but I stupidly forgot to write down where (which I usually do). So thanks for the inspiration!

I'm sorry about the close up being a little blurry, the wind was blowing and I had to take the picture quick. This was the best of the 6 pics I took, lol.

Card details:

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes (SU!)
Paper: Rose Red, Bashful Blue, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink: Versamark Watermark Stamp Pad
Accessories: white embossing powder, Wild Wasabi ribbon (SU!)

Another challenge that I look forward to is the Color Throwdown. I love how the colors are combined! The colors this week were very autumnal...I love fall! Unfortunately, we don't get that season here in New Orleans, lol. But I love the colors, the smells, the cooler-than-80-degree weather!

The colors that we were to use were Kiwi Kiss, Really Rust, So Saffron and Chocolate Chip. I love them! And I just got the stamp set, Season of Friendship, and I thought this was the perfect set to use.

I popped up the birdie, and after a short, heated debate with myself, decided NOT to pop the leaves. It just didn't look right.

I'm still looking through my stash of ribbon for something to use, but nothing I've come across looks right. And my Kiwi Kiss ribbon hasn't gotten here yet. And I did stamp the inside...I thought it needed a little something extra. Oh well, I still like how it came out! What a change for me, lol!!! I hope you enjoy my cards too!

So here are the details!

Card details:

Stamps: Kiwi Kiss, Really Rust, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip (SU!)
Paper: Kiwi Kiss DSP, Really Rust, So Saffron and Whisper White (SU!)
Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Really Rust, So Saffron and Chocolate Chip (SU!)

A New Card Challenge

2008-10-10T12:16:00.010-05:00

New/better picture below.

WOW! Three cards, three posts! Now, I'm really on a roll!

My friend, Mel, has a great site! And now she's got a great, new card challenge!

She's got this great picture for inspiration, and while the graphic design of th pillow caught my eye, I didn't "feel" it. And this is what I can up with...

The colors Mel chose are Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, and Whisper White. I've been acquiring all these great stamps, and I immediately thought of these. I hope you like what I've done with them.

Thanks for looking!

New/better picture.

Card details:

Stamps: Dotted Trees (Hero Arts), Heard From the Heart (SU!)
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive (SU!)
Accessories: string

Color Throwdown #14

2008-10-10T12:02:00.007-05:00

New/better picture below.

The last few days have been so hectic...and I got so inspired! I love the Color Throwdown challenge, the colors this week are so vibrant! I love them! Here's my card for the challenge!

Now I like the overall card, but I feel like it's missing something. The card feels a little blank. Please leave me your thoughts on how I can improve it! I love constructive criticism!

Thanks for looking!

New/better picture.

Card details:

Stamps: Eat, Drink & Be Scary (SU!), All Hallow's Eve (Inkadinkado)
Paper: Tangerine Tango, Kiwi Kiss, Taken With Teal (SU!)
Ink: Tangerine Tago, Kiwi Kiss (SU!)
Punch: Scallop Punch (SU!)
Accessories: ribbon (Really Reasonable Ribbon, embossing powder, K & Company Button Pins

Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration #25

2008-10-10T11:41:00.013-05:00

New/better picture below...

Another week, another Color Inspiration challenge from Kristina Werner. Ya'll all know how much I enjoy her challenges, and I know a lot of other people love them too!

This week's challenge colors were Ballet Blue, Certainly Celery, So Saffron and Ruby Red...an absolutely wonderful combination!

I immediately thought of flowers. I don't know why, but I thought flowers. And then, I thought of these great stamps I got from Verve! The card was easy to creat, just a couple of bumps along the way, with one of the flower centers, that I used my blender pen to color with, well it didn't look right. Happy accident! Cause I restamped the flower and then popped it up! Looks so much better!

I don't know why the photo is so dark...I took it outside! But I'll try again in a little while and see if I can get one a little brighter.

Thanks for looking!

I put the card directly in the sun...see how this is!

Card details:

Stamps: Petals & Stems (Verve), Season of Friendship (SU!)
Paper: Ballet Blue,Ruby Red, Whisper White
Ink: Ballet Blue, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Ruby Red
Accessories: Certainly Celery ribbon (SU!), blender pen

I'm on a roll!

2008-10-03T12:23:00.011-05:00

I love all the challenges that are out there on the web! Since I'm sort of new to stamping, challenges make me think. I case as many as I can, but either they want you to use stamps that I don't own, or they aren't specific enough.

Color Throwdown is a terrific challenge, very similar to Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration.

I got inspired I guess this morning and I have one for the Throwdown.

Sorry it's so blurry, but the breeze was stiff this morning, lol!

Card details:

Stamps: Cute and Curly (SU!)
Paper: Baja Breeze, So Saffron & More Mustard (SU!)
Ink: More Mustard (SU!)
Accessories: Curly Label Punch, Cuttlebug Dotted Swiss Embossing Folder

Color Inspiration #24

2008-10-03T10:25:00.007-05:00

EDIT BELOW

Hi everyone!

I'm sorry for the delays in posting, life around here has been interesting. We've finally had the trash pickup for the debris from Hurricane Gustav, and my yard is looking normal again.

Anyway, I got all my stuff back from it's own evacuation, lol, and I've been playing a little.

I finally am getting to post a card I made for Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration Challenge, and I'm liking it. It's not a card, it's a small journal that I keep notes in. I've done a few in the last few months but this is the first one I've done with a purpose, lol. And for some reason, I really like the way it came out.

The colors are Chocolate Chip, Pumpin Pie, Kiwi Kiss and Very Vanilla....wonderful autumn colors. And here's my entry!!!

I used the appropriate cardstock and ink colors, along with a small piece of old DSP. The stamp is one from Inkadinkado.

Tell me what you think!

I got a couple of better pictures.

Finally!

2008-09-16T06:06:00.003-05:00

My stuff came home! Oh, I can't tell ya'll how excited I am that all my boxes and cases are home, lol.

Now for the hard part... I gotta unpack it. In the hurry to pack up all my stuff, I sorta, kinda threw a lot of my supplies into boxes and cases. I have no idea what's where and I'm sure it's gonna take me several days to get it back to normal. Oh well!

No Stuff!!!

2008-09-11T08:16:00.003-05:00

I know it's been a while...Hurricane Gustav really put a crimp in my month. And please, don't get me started on our lovely federal government (check my other blog). It's hard for me to be supportive and positive of a government that flat out lied to us.

ANYWHO! We came home Friday --- to no power! Thank goodness there was a lovely, coolish breeze. Jerry fired up the generator and we had a fridge!! And a fan! I can't say it wasn't miserable, but it was good to be home. Lots of branches down, a downed power line, a downed cable line and trash all in the backyard. A far cry from the destruction after Katrina.

And with the threat of Ike, well, let's just say I didn't unpack anything.

So, all my stamps, paper, ribbon and other supplies are across the lake at my niece's home, in Hallie's car (that we stuffed and parked), that will hopefully come home either tonight or tomorrow. I miss my stuff!

Three Years Ago...

2008-08-29T08:35:00.011-05:00

My life changed. My family faced one of it's greatest challenges. Our little world of friends, neighbors, shops and stores was forever altered.

Today is the 3 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Please keep the hundreds of victims in your heart and prayers today.

This is a picture of my street after the storm has passed. This is AFTER the water had begun to drain out of our homes.

This next picture is of a major intersection after the storm. It's about 1 mile from my house. I must be a lot higher (elevation) than I thought --- even though the elevation on my house is a -2.75ft.

But I don't live in the Ninth Ward in Orleans Parish. And for the matter, I don't live in Orleans Parish. I live to the west of Orleans, in Jefferson Parish. You don't hear a lot about us, the damage, the destruction, the ruined lives. Nevertheless, we flooded.....about 8 inches in the house.

Eight inches of water --- not a lot to most people's way of thinking. But let me assure you that it's more than enough to ruin everything you own. We had mold growing out of the cushions of the sofa, mold and mildew on the walls, EVERY wall. My bathtub had a shiny slime in it. All my bedroom dressers and chest of drawers had warped --- ever try to open a warped drawer? Not easy.

My other blog, I'm So Tired covers some of the frustration and challenges we faced after Katrina.

And yet, here we go again! Gustav and possibly Hanna are aimed here. We've got our reservations in Nashville, clothes packed, Mia's toys and books packed, and all my maps of the contraflow and interstates. I will be dropping Daddy off in Birmingham, Alabama to my sister and then heading out. I have family west of the city BUT for Katrina, it took 12 hours to go from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, normally a 1 hour drive. Oh, I'm so not gonna sit in that kind of traffic.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers...

Color Throwdown

2008-08-25T10:27:00.009-05:00

WOOHOO! I actually got some time to myself this past weekend and I was impressed with all I got done. I can't possibly show ya'll everything, but I did want to make sure that I posted some of the challenges I finally completed.

Color Throwdown is one of my favorites. And I got it finished! I couldn't believe I did it! I've tried to finish a card for them, but I've always been late. And this week, I combined it with a sketch I found at Fat Cat Stamper. This is my entry.

And I've started thinking about Halloween. It's my favorite holiday/celebration! I spent hours at Michael's yesterday, seeing what new stuff they have to decorate my home with! My list is endless! And of course, Dawn at Dawn's Stamping Thoughts has a cute, cute, cute Frankenstein card...which I sort of adapted. I couldn't find my black paper bags, so I ended up with a black take out box, and I think it came out cute! When I find my bags, I'll end up making 50 or so to give out to the kiddies, and I promise to post them when I finish them.

I really like him!

I'll try to post some of the other stuff I worked on this weekend! I hope I have a productive week!

Poor Pitiful Me!!!!

2008-08-23T21:56:00.005-05:00

I need an official pity party, rofl!

Life around our home has been interesting (to say the least) over the last couple of weeks. And for some strange reason, I THINK I'm still sane, lol.

Jerry is driving me nuts! He's forgotten that he's a mature, grown man and reverted to that little 7 yr old boy that's usually hidden away. He talks, and talks, and talks incessantly! He can't find his GPS system that the girls bought him for Father's Day, and it's everyone else's fault that it's missing. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

He's healing okay, I guess. The doctor said 3 weeks, and of course, he's trying to push his healing.

My dad, sigh, has had a new bleed in his "good" eye. Daddy has macular degeneration and it's awful. There is not much else wrong with him other than he's almost 84. It's hard for him to accept this challenge, and he makes it hard for everyone else to empathize.

So, with all that and more (namely Hallie, Loretta, Bonnie and Mia), the past couple of weeks have been hard for me. I've missed this week's color challenge. I've missed a couple other challenges that I wanted to try to participate in. I've had no time to work on my scrapbooks.

Poor pitiful me, lol!

Whew! I think I made it!

2008-08-07T22:44:00.003-05:00

I've just been swamped, dealing with Jerry and Mia all day. BUT, I think I actually will make the cutoff time for KWerner's Color Inspiration #18.

This week's challenge colors are Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red and either Summer Sun or Green Galore. I'm still new to Stampin' Up! colors, so I may have chosen the wrong green, but I went with what I had.

I got to use my new Bella Stamps...woohoo! I love my "Witchiebella"!!!

My photos may not be all that great, but I'm happy with the card. I embossed the basic stamp image, and used some of my new black embossing powder. And then I used some of my watercolor pencils and filled the image in. I'm rather proud of the way it came out.

Thanks for looking!

A quick but late card...

2008-08-07T13:47:00.004-05:00

I had planned to join in on a new challenge at Color Throwdown. I think it's similar to other challenges out there, and I am really getting into it.

But with Jerry's surgery, I didn't get a chance to post it. But I thought I would go ahead and put up the card I made, and then get busy on the new challenge.

Enjoy!

Hubby's doing great!

2008-08-05T09:49:00.002-05:00

Just a quick update, Jerry did fine yesterday and should come home tomorrow. WOOHOO! I am now caught between the errands for the girls, Mia and trying to keep things balanced :sigh: and it's not easy.

So thanks to everyone for all their thoughts and prayers...they worked!

Health updates...

2008-07-28T21:37:00.008-05:00

My precious, mischevious, BAD granddaughter Mia has finally recovered from the shingles/chicken pox! Not a bump on her! Don't ever think that because your child got the chicken pox vaccine, that will keep them from getting them...NOT TRUE! She's 2!!!

Hallie's kidney infection has finally gone away, and now, she can schedule the surgery on her finger. Somehow, she tore the ligament in her right ring finger, but the surgeon wouldn't operate until her urologist gave her the all clear.

Jerry, poor guy, is going to have a procedure to unblock his bladder, and hopefully, clear up his prostate. So we have several doctor's appointments, lab visits, and pre-registration in preparation for next Monday's surgery.

GEESH! It doesn't end!

For those of ya'll that know him, he's had a hard time of it the last several years. First, there was the angiogram where the cardiologist placed a stent, only to have it "rip" the artery, and have to have ANOTHER angiogram and stent placed.

Fifteen months later, there was the angiogram that led to a quadruple bypass. Talk about a surprise!

Not two years later, after months of suffering with his legs (PAD), during the testing for that treatment, it was found that he had a tumor in his right kidney that turned out to be cancer. So there went the kidney!

Oh, and it doesn't stop there!

After six months or so, the vascular doctor started trying to open his arteries with stents and balloon treatments...which didn't work. We went through that for months. Nothing worked, so in May 2004, he underwent a bypass on his left leg, which didn't work.

So we're sitting there, going back and forth between doctors, when somehow, Jerry fell off an 8ft. ladder and hit his head at work. I remember the phone call vividly to this day. Nineteen days of ICU, not knowing if he would live or die. Nineteen days of crying, praying, and yes, I'll admit it, heavy drinking. Blood thinners, they are wonderous drugs, but when something happens bad, well, they are a curse.

And after bouts of shingles (neurological injuries can trigger the virus), dizzy spells (he'll never lose that) and Katrina (yes we flooded and had to redo the entire house), he's I'd say 80% back. And now this.

So if I'm not posting or anything, don't worry. I'm around getting all my eggs into one basket. And please say a prayer for him.

WOW!

2008-07-24T13:28:00.011-05:00

I've received my first weblog award from Vicki at Stamping Ever After! I'm thrilled!

I can't tell ya'll enough how much everyone's sweet comments on my cards and scrapbook pages mean to me. I have a lot of trouble accepting praise and compliments...it's one of my biggest failings. A friend of mine once told me I'm "too humble", whatever that means, lol.

Anyway, there are rules to follow with this award...
1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.
2. Link to the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links to those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you have nominated.

So I've dug through my list of favorite and inspirational blogs, and picked out some of my favorites. Believe me, my list is long!

1. Today's Lessons with my friend Mel, who is a wonderful stamper despite her four great, little boys!
2. Chic n' Scratch Angie has wonderful video tutorials. She doesn't know it but I lurk on a daily basis!
3. Kadee Morrison Designs has some of the most beautiful cards I've ever seen and wonderful videos too!
4. Dawn's Stamping Thoughts Dawn does daily blog entries...it can be a sweet card or a fabulous video tutorial.
5. Day Dreamin' Dawn has some of the prettiest cards I've ever seen! I stalk her blog :)
6. K's Card Creations has beautiful cards, and she uses stamps and techniques I'm totally jealous of, lol!
7. StampinGHmom I found her blog quite by accident, but I love how she creates her cards and I think you will too!

So now I'm off to make sure that these blog awards get to these wonderful women! I can't tell ya'll how much I appreciate the inspiration that they give me!

Color Inspiration #17

2008-07-23T19:34:00.012-05:00

Wow, I'm cranking out creativity these days! I'm participating in 2 different challenges this week. This is the only card I've completed...I'll post the other one later.

Vintage...I love vintage! And these colors are wonderful! I don't know where she finds them all, but IMHO, Kristina has outdone herself this time!

Rose Red, Regal Rose, Sage Shadow and Whisper White are this week's colors.

I bought these new stamps from Artful Inkables. This set is called "sunburst dandies".

What a great set of stamps! But I'm not crazy about how dark the Regal Rose shows in this picture, but I took the picture like 10 times and it's still dark!

Oh well, I hope you enjoy my card...and I can't wait to see everyone else's!!! And I'll probably post the other challenge card tomorrow, so stay tuned!

2nd Blog of the Day...

2008-07-22T14:20:00.004-05:00

I think I've written enough about my beautiful, wonderful, bright and sweet granddaughter, Mia. She's also curious, inquisitive and DESTRUCTIVE!

There is nothing sacred in my house. I have all the cabinets child-proofed and locked. I have baby gates up all over. And I do my best to keep things out of reach.

Well, let me start with the first incident of the day. She somehow got open my Pumpkin Pie stamp pad and used some stamps and created on paper a lovely picture of alligators. A couple of orange fingertips later, she was happy with her picture.

Next, she wrote on my NEWLY painted wall with an ink pen! ARGH!

Then, and don't ask me where she got it from, she painted her legs with Desitin! :sob: It was everywhere!!! And she did this in about 2 minutes while I was on the phone! See below pictures...

There are days that she's the most cooperative child...so easy to please, so easy to entertain. I'm guessing that she's unhappy with me today. Why else would she feel the need to entertain herself this way?

A little something different...

2008-07-22T12:06:00.006-05:00

I love to cruise different scrapbooking/stamping blogs. I totally enjoy seeing what others can create. I'm always blown away by everyone's imaginations and talents.

Last week, I found a new blog, Fat Cat Stamper. I'll be adding this blog to my "favorites" later this week. Please check her blog out!

Anyway, she has a challenge out there...one that I loved. So I have attempted an entry. I love quilts...and my favorite pattern is the "log cabin". So that's the pattern I used on my card.

I used the color combo (Close to Cocoa, Brocade Blue, Sage Shadow, and Very Vanilla) BUT I don't have any of the stamps that we were to use. So, I used a small SU! stamp that has been floating around my table to highlight the Close to Cocoa, and then began the pattern. I have to tell you, it was harder to create the pattern with paper than it is with fabric, lol.

I hope you enjoy it! And visit that blog...it's terrific!

Color Inspiration #16

2008-07-17T15:07:00.021-05:00

Another week, another great color inspiration challenge! I did create a card, but I don't really like it. Not sure why, because I used the same basic layout for baby shower invitations for a friend of mine. Maybe it's the Pumpkin Pie?

Oh well, it's ok...I think I like it better when I used Apricot Appeal. Pastels work so much better together, IMHO. I do hope you enjoy it.

I used the SU set Noah's Ark, Certainly Celerey, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Sky and Very Vanilla cardstock and stamp pads.

Color Inspiration #15

2008-07-10T18:35:00.010-05:00

Another week, another color inspiration challenge...

I'm still getting over whatever "bug" I had last weekend, but I felt good enough to drag out my supplies and attempt a card. I have to admit, I like it, lol. Maybe the "bug" inspired me, lol

Everyone knows how big a fan of Kristina Werner's I am. She's got such good taste and I love the color combos she comes up with. And this week's combo is no exception.

So I pulled out all the colors...and then remembered that I had a card already made! YES!!! My dad's birthday is coming up, and I had bought a new set of stamps from PaperTrey, and I was trying to get a jump on birthday cards, I made up a few. I just had to change out the paper to Really Rust, and voila!

Here's my submission. I really hope you enjoy it!

Stomach Bug...

2008-07-06T11:04:00.005-05:00

Yuck!

I've got the stomach bug! Oh goodness, it's not pretty around here.

A couple of weeks ago, my oldest daughter Hallie's boyfriend brought his 2 kids over (it was his weekend), and his little girl got sick while she was here. I blew it off, kids eat the wrong thing all the time.

Well, I blew it off too soon!

Loretta (daughter #2) got sick Wednesday night, followed closely by Bonnie (daughter #3). I was fine, praying the whole time I wouldn't get it since SOMEONE has to watch Mia (my gorgeous, smart, talented, happy, mischevious) granddaughter.

Thursday night, after a lovely dinner for 3 at a new Chinese restaurant (since the girls don't like it and they HAD to eat broth), I got sick! EUWWWWW! I was miserable! Thank goodness I had already cancelled our July 4th dinner! I slept most of Friday away and a good part of Saturday. Now my back is killing me...lol. If it's not one thing....

Mel --- watch the boys! I'm apologizing now!

Lifting? Casing? Learning???

2008-07-03T10:11:00.008-05:00

We all have our favorite sites that we like to check in on daily...I'm no different.

I'm always updating my sidebar, Blogs That Inspire Me. I want everyone to see these great sites! They have wonderful, creative designs...many with video instructions!

I "stalk" a couple of blogs (okay it's more than a couple, lol) and I really liked this design...so cute! Angie's Stamping Academy did these cards for a birthday...I'm thinking I'll use them for party invitations!

Another blog that I "stalk" is Dawn's Stampin Thoughts. She's so perky and sweet, you can just hear it in her voice! Anyway, today's post was this great "exploding card". I just did the card in cardstock, but even as plain as it is, I love it!

Great cards huh????

Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration #14

2008-07-02T19:27:00.010-05:00

Another Color Inspiration.....and it's different. I really like it.

I used some paper I bought to do a scrapbook layout of New Orleans, but it called my name to be used. One Heart One Mind is the paper company and the paper is called "fleur de lis". I also used a rub on by Kelly Panacci for the sentiment, and the striped ribbon is from Making Memories, it's what they call "textured tape". The instructions said that she added the River Rock and REal Red, but only if you needed to use the colors. I chose not to.

I watched Kristina's Make-A-Card Monday video and decided I'd try that too. My interpretation is a little different, but I really like the final presentation. I had never really done anything monochromatic. You can't really see it, but some of the stems are embossed. I've been playing with the idea of adding a little ink to higlight them, but I'm still a little wary of doing that.

I really like the way my cards came out...

More DC layouts...

2008-06-30T12:10:00.005-05:00

Before our family trip to Washington, D.C., I had only heard people talk about how reverent they felt going to Arlington National Cemetery. I now know exactly how they felt. It's so quiet, unlike most of the other places we had gone. I was especially interested in going to Arlington, since the house was Robert E. Lee's family home, and he's an ancestor of mine.

We took the tour, and ended up at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier just in time to watch Trace Atkins (I think that's his name) participate in a wreath laying ceremony and film a music video. So quiet, so solemn.

I want to go back...Arlington made a huge impact on me. I didn't get to see everything I wanted to, but I've been told it is not something you see only once.

I cropped these pages...I didn't finish the opposing page matches, but I will. I don't think photographs can portray the reverence you feel when you are walking there.

Creative Frenzy!!!

2008-06-27T16:52:00.015-05:00

I got a bee in my bonnet this morning...

I've been cruisin' lots and lots of blogs, seeing how other people craft. I've got more than a dozen that I "stalk", watching what they do and how they do it.

While I've stalked, I've learned...and I've learned a lot. I've been surprising myself at how well I translate their tutorials and videos. This is what I've always wanted to do.

Kristina Werner's Design Blog is one of my absolute favorites. She has Make a Card Monday videos and Color Inspirations. I've done a couple of her cards...not well. I've participated in a few of her Color Inspirations...anh........I don't usually like what I come up with as far as those go either. But I still "stalk" her blog...it's GREAT!

Dawn's Stampin' Thoughts is another favorite of mine. I wish I lived closer to her so I could take her workshops. I love what she can do with paper!

I have FINALLY tried to do a couple of her tutorials, and I'm very pleased with the final outcome. This is the giftcard holder she has here.

I love how it came out!!! Perfect for our next door neighbors daughter's!

This morning Dawn had a new video, a gift bag. I think I did a great job on it!

I am learning so much, and I'm really enjoying myself. Thanks so much for helping me to learn!!!

Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration #13

2008-06-25T13:45:00.008-05:00

Another week, another inspiration challenge.

I don't know where Kristina finds these great color palettes, but I really enjoy the challenge of her color combinations.

I haven't participated in the last 2 or 3, either I was too busy in my "real life", or I just couldn't come up with a card. Sad, huh? Anyway, I love the colors of this week, and I just sat down and came up with this card.

I used the five colors....Purely Pomegranate, Regal Rose, River Rock, Wild Wasabi and Whisper White. My Boho Blossoms punch was perfect for the little flowers. I used the SU stamp set Pretty Amazing for the stems and title, and finished it off with a little Wild Wasabi ribbon. I know I'm missing something, but I couldn't find my stickles to test a little glitter.

It's not the best out there, but I am pretty happy with it.

Some more "finds"...

2008-06-10T15:23:00.009-05:00

I'm on a roll!

I've been finding all kinds of "old" layouts that I completed. Most of them were put in bags and stacks of completed layouts that didn't have pictures. I don't know why I did that.

I thought I'd post a few before I put them away, lol.

Our first day in Washington D.C. was hot and exhausting, but worth every minute. I have to admit to a surge of pride in seeing the nation's capitol for the first time. The Smithsonian Museums are fabulous! We started with the Air and Space Museum that first morning since it was right there by our hotel. My "anal" planning paid off!

I have a lot of other shots, but so far I haven't run across them, lol.

Next we walked through the National Sculpture Garden which wasn't on our map. We thoroughly enjoyed it (plus we could sit down, lol).

When we walked out of the gardens, we we faced with a fabulous view! The National Archives Building and a wonderful fountain! Great picture opportunity! The security people there were wonderful, while being very vigilant. The guard we talked to was sweet enough to take a family portrait!

Then it was off to the Natural History Museum...Hallie and her giraffes . I just don't get it, lol.

I will post a few other pages I did tomorrow. Mia just woke up from her nap and is DEMANDING my attention, lol. Later!

Found pages...

2008-06-03T12:00:00.005-05:00

I was going through the stacks of layouts I have done over the last 2+ years and I found some of the first layouts I did of our family trip to Washington DC. I am so glad I found them...I had worked on them while we were evacuated during the aftermath of Katrina. I've always been thankful that I took all my pictures and as many supplies as I could fit when we left.

Anyway, I lost all of my scrapbooks, but none of my completed pages. Those I put in ice chests sealed with duct tape, lol. But I did get really creative (maybe I was inspired) while evacuated, and these are a few of the pages I did.

The apple of my eye...

2008-06-03T10:50:00.007-05:00

The song in my heart...
The light of my life...

And a lot of days, my reason for getting out of bed.

MIA!

She's two, going on 22! ROFL! She's so smart and articulate and ingenious and BAD! She's figured out how to get past the child-proof locks on the cabinets and drawers. I was stunned the first time I walked into my kitchen to find my pots and pans across the floor. She's currently trying to figure out how to open doors, so far she's still a little short to reach AND turn the knob.

And she's such a girly girl...she has purse, shoe, jewelry "collections" already! Right now, she has more shoes than I do! I have 3 daughters, and I don't recall any of them being this "girly".

Lord help us! LOL!

What a mess!

2008-05-20T06:33:00.008-05:00

As some of ya'll know, we were flooded by our lovely parish officials during Katrina. My house is STILL not back together .

Anyway, my cropping area has been my dining room table ever since. And I have to admit that it's a mess!

I can (and have) cleaned it off to make room for holiday dinners, Stampin' Up workshops, our weekly family dinners. It's a pain in the "you know what" so I have started going through the stacks of stuff...for the umpteenth millionth time, lol.

My cropping room is supposed to be a shed in our backyard...but Jerry hasn't even begun the demolition of the interior. The walls need to come down, the old insulation replaced, a couple of new electrical lines run, not to mention the phone and cable connections, lol. But I can be patient for a little while longer. Hopefully, I won't have to wait much longer.