Faux Quilting

This weeks challenge over at Stamp Something was to create something faux. I saw a card this week that had a quilted panel on it and it was so cute...I wish I could remember who posted it. She actually used her sewing machine but I didn't feel like getting mine out so I just used my paper piecer, piercing guide and a white pen. I also saw a card weeks ago over at Oodabug Alley that used this set in yellow and loved it. I've been wanting to use this set ever since and it's been sitting out on my desk, just waiting for me.
This card also uses Sketch 7 from Triple the Sketch.

Stamps are ©Stampin' Up! I forget the name of the set and I used So Saffron, Always Artichoke and Close to Cocoa inks and markers.

Make it a beautiful day!

Biggest Swap Ever

Karin is putting together the biggest swap ever! I decided to join in today and you might want to head over and check it out too. The last day to sign up is today. The good news, you only have to make 2 cards!! How easy is that?

Always

I did two cards this week with the sketch from Page Plans as I wanted to see if I could actually make 2 very different cards using the same sketch. I think I pulled it off. It's hard to tell in the photo, but I sponged just a little bit of pink ink around the edges of the heart to give it some definition.



There are a few more creations over at Page Plans today that are so WOW!! The layouts are just AWESOME and actually make me want to scrapbook!

Make it a beautiful day!

A Shoe For Every Mood

This is my final sketch as a guest designer over at Page Plans. It's been so fun to see the sketch early!! I hope you stop by and check out the rest of the creations!

I started with that strip of DP - love all the colors in it and with the funk I've been in this week, it was a boost to my spirit! I created my scallops by punching out circles - all the fault of Kristina Werner as I saw her do it in a video on her blog. Using scissors would've been so much faster!! *grin* I heard a rumor that SU! may have a scallop border punch in the new catalog - oh how wonderful would that be!?!?! I've never used this set from CTMH until this week. My gal stamped up beautifully but the shoes were kinda spotty, so I went over them with my markers to fill them in. This card is headed to my friend Emily. She's in my lia sophia downline and loves shoes!! Whenever we can, we will sneak off and go shoe shopping!! Since I wear an 11 and she wears a 7, she usually has more luck at finding shoes but either way I love to shop with her!!

That Week

This week has been "that" week. I have just been in an icky funk all week long. I have been working on some things - a project, sorting some things in my craft room - did I tell ya'll that I decided to move some things around? - that's created havoc in there, let me tell you. And a whole lot of sitting in my chair, staring at my stamps.

I did get on to share my swap from the MFT swap over on SCS. I had my original photos on my EHD that is still dead so I had to take new photos, and I just haven't really been motivated to do that until this morning. All of the ATCs in this swap were phenomenal!! They are sitting here right by my computer in their little baggie. Every morning I start reading my email while D. eats his breakfast. Most mornings he finishes before I do so then he joins me here on the computer. And he always grabs this bag and wants to look at them. So they have brought us much joy in the few weeks that we've had them. He does get frustrated though because I won't let him "hold them, hold them". I don't want them to get bent - ya'll understand right?


I was a little worried about the umbrella being over the edges, but then decided if it's okay in a card, it should be okay in an ATC too! And if I had need of an umbrella in my life, I would definitely have a scarf tied around the handle. Oh - and what fun it would be to have polka dotted rain galoshes (is that what they are called?) But alas, rain is scarce around here - and when it does rain, it's usually pretty quick so I just wait it out. Or run quickly --- it's not like I'll get soaked!
I guess that's why I like this set so much - I can carry out my polka-dotted, fancy umbrella dreams through this girl.

Have a wonderful weekend! I'll be back on Sunday with my last card as guest designer for the PagePlans sketch blog.

Check This Out!

Well - I am supposed to be sweeping and mopping my kitchen floor. But I was away all weekend and just wanted to grab a few moments and at least catch up with my SBS3 sisters!! {{waves}} Hi girls!! One of them clued me in to this amazing blog candy prize over at Lil Deb's blog. It is a new blog for me and I've browsed around and all. Check out her SCS gallery too - way cute stuff!!

Also, one of my dearest friends just started a blog. Her name is Suzann and she is my buddy that gets me to make scrapbook pages!! Stop by and welcome her to blogland!!

Okay - I'm going to be good and go clean that kitchen floor!!

Happy Birthday with Glitter!

The sketch for this week over at Page Plans is a favorite of mine. I actually have several cards that I made way back when I was pregnant with the same quadrant in the background. I never knew what to do with them after that ---- so they sat. I think I'll have to figure out whether I a) finally tossed them or b)where I stashed them now that I know what to add to them. They used some yummy Anna Griffin paper.

My card for this week incorporates glitter - one of my top five supplies! I hope you can see the glitter on the background panels. They are from a DCWV Christmas mat stack. The background circle is a DCWV Glitter stack piece. The flowers are Bazzill, the sentiment is Making Memories I think as is the flower brad. The big pink "brad" is actually an old button salvaged off of a suede shirt that used to belong to my hubby's grandmother.

I've been having fun as a guest designer at Page Plans this month. They are looking for a guest designer for June - upload a card using the sketch by May 20th and you may be next!! You can find Page Plans HERE.

This may seem silly....

....but if you are a praying person, please pray that some tech guy will be able to save all the files off my external hard drive. After we had computer issues earlier this spring, I moved *everything* to my EHD. Four years of lia sophia, 15 months of pictures of my son, all the photos on this blog (well, I guess they are safe) plus some other stuff. It's hard to say exactly how much is on there, but it's a lot. Last week it lost connection in the middle of copying something over. It hasn't been usable since. The whole thing makes me sick to my stomach, as you can imagine. I'm just praying that the photos of my son will be recovered at the very least. I can re-create all the things I need for lia sophia - but I don't relish the amount of time that would take.

Did you Hear it??

The big "c" word that uttered from my mouth?? I was trying to be all SuperBloggerGirl and get a post ready to just magically appear later this weekend when I HIT THE WRONG BUTTON! I think I managed to get it deleted before anyone saw it - but geesh! Guess I'll hold off on having a custom superhero costume made.

Why was I trying to be prepared - well, this weekend will be busy (aren't they all?) but I really want to make some cool gifts for the teachers at my son's Mother's Day Out. Next week is the last week before summer so I've got to get on the ball with that. Plus I have 2 retirement gifts I want to make - actually need to make 4 total, so I guess doing them all at once is best. And I need to work on another project that I can't really elaborate on too much here just yet. And that doesn't factor in the laundry and grocery shopping that I need to do. So I'm going to force myself to stay away from blogger until I get them done!



Or at least until Monday!!

Cupcakes Anyone?

Last night our local group got together. We swap ATC's every month and the theme for May was food. I find ATCs so hard because I want to have more space to add more embellishments. I really love how this one turned out - really high on the cute factor! The DP is from a DCWV Glitter stack - I think you can maybe see some of it in the photo. And what's a cupcake without a bling cherry on top?

Challenging Sketch

This weeks sketch over at Page Plans was a challenge for me. When I first saw it I was not sure if I would be able to pull it off. I never put things in my corners so those diagonal bits really threw me. As this card came together, I wasn't too sure I liked it. But it's been sitting here on my printer for a few days and the more I glance at it, the more I like it. I love the Live Your Dream set. I don't know if you can tell from this photo but the circle and the flowers are popped up. I wish there was more of the dp showing as I think the Le Jardin paper is so elegant.



Be sure to check out all the other creations over at Page Plans this week (Jennifer's mom-to-be card is so cute and a great idea. My sister cooked yesterday for my mom and I --- and I can't wait until she is a mom too. Maybe I'll get to make her a mom-to-be card on mothers day!) Link up the card you create using this sketch over at Page Plans - there is a drawing and you just might be the winner!!

Make it a beautiful day!

Just for Mom

The project at my LSS Creative Cafe this week was a Mother's Day card. My good friend Suzanne is in charge of this and she always laughs at me because I ALWAYS want to change *something* with the project. The original called for the really big chipboard pieces - but there weren't very many left. So she was so sweet to me and cut me these polka dotted flowers. Which I am in love with!! I added the button to the design and also put one on the envelope. Don't you just love that scalloped velvet ribbon - in CHOCOLATE BROWN!?!? I will definitely be going back to get some of that. This one is for my mom; I already mailed off one to my MIL.

On a non-stamping note, please pray for my external hard drive. I keep everything - and I do mean EVERYTHING - on it. It had a power surge earlier this week and is now not working. Please pray that the tech guys will be able to salvage my files off of it. I have 4 years worth of lia sophia business on there and at least 6 months of photos on there. I've got to run - I probably won't be back until Sunday with my card for this weeks Page Plans sketch!

Make it a beautiful weekend!

ShoutOut to SheetLoad - May 2008

That's right the May 2008 issue of SheetLoad of Cards is up. You can find it HERE.

It's full of really great cards. The sponsor this month is Stamping Bella - just love those stamps. Now, before you think I'm just sharing for the sake of sharing - which, I *am* but....I'm also being a little self-serving here. You see, by letting YOU know about the new issue, I'm being entered into a drawing for a new bella stamp. And it's one I don't have and would really, really like to have! Here's the cool thing - you can do the same thing and maybe *you'll* win - the runner up prize at least, because I am going to claim that Bella stamp for myself. God says to speak things into existence.......but hurry, you need to have it posted by May 11th!

I'd love to share a card with you today - maybe it will happen. My computer is not recognizing my external hard drive today and that is where all my photos are. I started to get down on the floor and de-tangle all the cords and mess with it. But then I realized that I don't really know what all the cords are for and that even though I vacuumed in here recently (2 weeks is recent, right?) that there is corgi hair on the floor and I don't want to mess with it. So I'm going to keep working on the laundry and bringing order to my stamp space = AGAIN!!

Have a beautiful day!!

iStamp. Do You?

Got that cool bling button over there from Freckled Fun Designs. You can get one too. She even has an iSCRAP one.

On another note, I logged on to share a card but have decided to submit it for publication consideration. I'm really proud of it - I mean REALLY proud of it. I just love every microscopic inch of it. Don't you love it when that happens?

I may have to frame it.

Make it a beautiful day!!

Sweet Baby Girl

If you've been here before, you know that many, many weeks ago I submitted some cards for the Page Plans design team. I didn't make the team, but they DID ask me to be a guest designer for the month of May!! ME!!! I was so thrilled and still find it hard to believe!! It was really cool seeing my card posted someplace else!! Very surreal!! I still get this really big grin on my face when I think about it - hubby will catch me and ask what I'm smiling about. He doesn't get it though...he just kinda nods and walks away.

Here is the sketch for this week, created by Renee. I came home on Thursday and saw the sketch after getting the baby settled and the dogs petted and the hubby cuddled. I needed to have it back to Chris and Lesli by 7 pm on Friday! As you know, I create cards that I need and my good friend just found out she is having a girl (after 3 boys, this surprise baby is such a treat!) and I bought some little scrapbook things to give her but I need a card to go with it. I went in to gather supplies and thought, "I can't make another baby card to post on my blog" so I tried to come up with something else - but it just wouldn't happen. Not with my time constraints. I think this is a new thing for me to work on. Make a card --- JUST BECAUSE!!
Here's my card:

I don't remember who makes the DP, it was in a big ol' stack. The felt ribbon is Rob & Bob, the letter stickers and small pearls were $pot from Target and the baby buggy I bought off of ebay ages ago!

Page Plans posts a new sketch every Sunday. So you have plenty of time to create something with this sketch. If you do, be sure to link it up over on the Page Plans blog so I can check it out!!
Make it a beautiful day!!

P.S. Those baby shoes in the photo were found at an estate sale...marked for $2, I paid $1. Aren't they just precious!! Hubby thought I bought them for D. to wear - ha! I wish his feet were still that small! But no, I bought them to use as "fluff" in photos (since baby cards are my most favorite to make). Although I am sad that they were at the sale. Nobody wanted those little shoes. I would love to have my baby shoes. That poor mama. I'm telling D. he has to hang onto the things I save for him. I'm such a sucker for family heirlooms. He has this music box horse on his crib that used to be his daddy's. I have lots of other little bits and pieces around too. They don't have any real monetary value but the emotional value is what matters to me.

What a Treat!

There is the most awesome blog candy HERE. Kitty is letting the winner choose from 4 Stamping Bella stamps! I would love to win that dogwalkabella!! There are some other goodies along with the stamp so head over and take a look-see!

Amuse Stamps

I don't own any Amuse Stamps but they just sent me a discount code as a birthday present. So I'm inclined to really go shopping now! While I appreciate cards I've seen made with their stamps - there aren't too many that just scream to me as "my style".

Do you have a favorite Amuse stamp/set that you'd recommend?

You Spin Me

Round, Round, Baby Round Round, like a record, Baby.....


We made it back from Oklahoma last night! It was a wonderful trip!!
I have much catching up to do in my Google Reader (my in-laws computer is SLOOOOOOWWW and incredibly frustrating to me!!)

The only thing I managed to get done was for an MFT ATC SWAP - so I'll wait several days to share that with you.

Here is a card I did awhile back. Part of some creations for a design team I tried out for. I think it's really cute and can't wait to use the same concept on a scrapbook page. Catch up with ya'll later!!