I've Been Tagged!

I've been tagged by Donna at Serenity in Stamping. This is a new kind of tag in which you're supposed to give one word answers about yourself with no explanation to the following:

Yourself: Tall
Your Partner: Soulmate
Your Hair: Red
Your Mother: Giving
Your Father: Patient
Your Favorite Item: stamps
Your Dream Last Night: none
Your Favorite Drink: Margaritas (when not pregnant, of course)
Your Dream Car: Auto-Pilot
Dream Home: spacious
The Room You Are In: office
Your Fear: safety
Where You Want to be in Ten Years: debt-free
Who You Hung Out With Last Night: family
You’re Not: a smoker
One of Your Wish List Items: time
The Last Thing You Did: slept
You Are Wearing: pajamas
Your Favorite Weather: warm
Your Favorite Book: The Notebook
Last Thing You Ate: ?????
Your Life: busy
Your Mood: tired
Your Best Friend: Melanie
What Are You Thinking About Right Now: Sleeping
Your Car: Ford Escape
What Are You Doing At The Moment: Typing
Relationship Status: Married
What Is On Your TV: Nothing
What Is The Weather Like: Sunny
When Is The Last Time You Laughed: 10 minutes

This is a new game of tag. Let me know your one word answers. You can link back here in the comments, so I can check them out! Here’s my list of people I am tagging: (I don't think these people have been tagged yet). Have fun!

Michele
Sherrie
Julee
Julie
Diane

On a side note, our vacation has started off wonderfully! The only real "problem" was Arwen screamed on the plane pretty much the whole time. It was pretty frustrating! We're going to try to get her nice and tired for the flight back! :) Thanks for visiting and for all your sweet comments to have a nice vacation! I plan to! :)

Wet Watercolor

This was for yesterday's Try a New Technique Challenge on SCS, Wet Watercolor. I have never tried this technique before. It was a lot of fun. I think next time, though, I'll use different paper. I used the white cardstock by Papertrey Ink and it absorbed a lot of the water before I stamped, so the "blurry" effect didn't happen as much as it should. Maybe I just needed more water. I'll have to experiment! :) I added some sparkle for some added interest.

Well, we leave in the morning for vacation. I didn't know if I was going to be able to post to my blog while I was away, but I think I may be able to a little. I've decided to make this week easy, so I've already made some "Warm Up Cards" that are all ready to share when I get to a computer. They are all quick and simple, so hopefully you'll like them! I used up a lot of scraps. . . yay! So, if you happen to visit this week, don't expect any earth-shattering creations! :) Simple, relaxing vacation stamping only! :) Thanks for visiting! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Remembering You; Paper- DCWV turquoise, olive, black, white cardstock from Papertrey Ink; Ink- Summer Sun, Tempting Turquoise, Palette in Noir, Old Olive; Accessories- Offray ribbon, paper piercer, black marker, small oval punch, Making Memories brads.

Super Sketch Sunday 16

This was for Amy's Super Sketch Sunday #16! As you all know, I just LOVE Amy's sketches on Sundays. I always look forward to them, even if I can't get to them right away. I HAD to do this one today since we'll be leaving for vacation. I have used Amy's sketches for many cards because they just work so well for me. She is thinking about discontinuing her Sunday Sketches! YIKES! Amy, I just LOVE your sketches and do them faithfully. . . I, for one, would be very sad if you stopped doing them! If any of you have tried Amy's sketches and enjoy doing them, PLEASE head on over to Amy's blog and encourage her to keep them coming! We love you, Amy! :)

On this card, I used my long neglected Cuttlebug Slider die. I just loved it when I first got it, but haven't used it in a while. It fit this sketch perfectly. The ribbon is some of the May Arts ribbon I won a while ago from one of Beate's Fresh and Fun Freebies! I am trying to make this one last because it's my absolute favorite! I have used it on a lot of cards. . .I can't believe I still have some! :) I've also been trying to use up scraps of paper from previous cards instead of always cutting into new paper. This paper is scraps from my sister's shower thank yous, which she LOVED! :) That scrap pile is still quite substantial, but I'm whittling away at it! Thanks for stopping by today and have a wonderful Memorial Day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Think Big; Ink- VersaMagic in Jumbo Java, Aloe Vera; Paper- DCWV Spring Stack, blue, dark brown, Certainly Celery; Accessories- May Arts ribbon, Cuttlebug Slider die, Aged Copper brads, Word Window punch.

Some Pictures to Share

I thought I would share some pictures with you of the past couple of days. The first picture is of Savannah and Mommy at Idlewild Park. I really couldn't ride much with her since I'm pregnant, so the Carousel was one that I could ride. It is one of her favorites. She never wants to get off though. Once the ride starts to slow down, she's already pointing at the next horse she wants to ride. Having to explain to a 3 year old that there are other people waiting to get on the ride and we have to wait our next turn isn't always fun. She had her fair share of meltdowns that day. :) The second picture is of Arwen and Mommy from a Memorial Day picnic we attended today. She's afraid of the grass, so we have to put a blanket down for her to play on. She LOVES when Mommy sits with her on the blanket! :) As a matter of fact, she cries if I leave the blanket. This coming week, we are going to Florida for vacation. We're going to visit/stay with my husband's brother and going to Disney World for a couple of days while we're there. Savannah is SO excited! She is so into the Princesses right now that we can't wait to see her face when she actually sees them close up! We'll be sure and get lots of pics! I also need to get more pics of us as a family. It seems that either myself or my husband end up in the pictures with the girls, but never both. I hope you are all having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

A Julee Original!

Look at this absolutely gorgeous and perfect card from Julee at Poetic Artistry! I got it in my prize package along with the Studio G clear stamp set and Crate Words rub-ons. As you can imagine, I was just tickled to see THIS card in my package! Oh my goodness, it's absolutely perfect! You should see all the sparkle on the card too! The picture does not do it justice. Julee, you just do AMAZING work and I am so excited to have one of your originals! :) Thank you so much! I just LOVE it!

Beate Sketch

This is just a quick post today. I'm on my way out the door for my sister's baby shower! This was for Beate's newest sketch challenge. It went relatively quickly, and was super fun! Give it a try! I don't usually make square cards, so that was nice challenge for me! This stamp set came from Julee at Poetic Artistry. It was a Studio G clear stamp set. I just LOVE it! Thank you so much Julee! I HAD to use it today! The flowers are actually outlines of flowers, but I colored them in with a blender pen and my VersaMagic inks! I don't have time to post a supply list right now, but I will add that on later if you're really interested! Thanks for visiting today and have a great day! Edited to add: I actually dipped the blender pen in the VersaMagic ink pad and colored in the flowers instead of blending from the edges of the stamped flower. It gave me a more vibrant color. SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Studio G clear set; Paper- Magnolia, DCWV turquoise, black, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White; Ink- VersaMagic in Spanish Olive, Pumpkin, Thatched Straw, Aegean Blue and Sea Breeze; Accessories- Basic Black marker, Making Memories brads, paper piercer, ticket corner punch, blender pen.

Going Yo Yo

This was for yesterday's Ways To Use It Challenge on SCS, Going Yo Yo. You had to use Yo Yo Yellow on your card. I had no idea what to do for this challenge, so I thought I'd make a card for a friend of mine who just found out she's pregnant. I thought the small size would be perfect to just put on a gift! The sentiment is by Savvy Stamps and I thought it would make a great sentiment for a pregnancy congratulations card. I think it was actually paired up with butterfly stamps. If you missed my post about the Warm Up Cards of Valerie Stangle, you can read that post here. Warm Up Cards were one of the Try a New Technique challenges a little while ago. They are great little cards for when you are short on time! I think they make GREAT little cards to add on the top of a gift! Mostly, they are just wonderful for keeping your creative juices flowing even if you don't have time to spend on a full size card.

Hope you have a wonderful day today! We are heading to Idlewild Park, an amusement park East of Pittsburgh which is PERFECT for small children. They have rides which Savannah can ride ALL of, a water park AND Storybook Forest, which is a place with little storybook houses the kids can walk through and sit in "The Three Bears" chairs, etc. Savannah just LOVES it there and cannot wait to get out the door! Thanks for visiting! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Expecting Mother stamp, A Muse, One Little Flutter, Savvy Stamps; Paper- DCWV yellow and brown, white from Papertrey Ink; Ink- Palette in Noir, Chocolate Chip; Accessories- yellow polka dot organdy ribbon, paper piercer, circle punch, Brown Prismacolor marker.

Shower Thank Yous

This Saturday is my sister's baby shower. I finally completed the finishing touch for her gift. . .her thank you cards. It's a pretty simple layout, but perfect for mass producing cards. I love this little giraffe, and I thought he'd look really cute in blue! As you've probably guessed, my sister is having a boy, so it was nice to at least have a color scheme to go with. She really liked her shower invitations, so hopefully she'll like these cards as well.

Sorry I never got to posting again yesterday. I just couldn't find time to stamp between having company, running errands and a little one who refuses to nap for any significant amount of time. Has anyone found a safe way to stamp while driving? LOL That seems to be the only time I can get one or both girls to nap for a good amount of time. Maybe one day our vehicles will have auto pilot! :) I'm hoping to get to more stamping today, though. Thanks for visiting! Have a beautiful day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Bundle of Joy, Riveting; Ink- Palette ink in Noir, Chocolate Chip, Brocade Blue; Paper- DCWV Spring Stack patterned paper and dark brown, White from Papertrey Ink; Accessories- blender pen, circle punch, blue grosgrain ribbon.

And the Winner Is. . .

Geny C. who wrote:
"Hi Charmaine,I love your blog and that candy looks great! I am embarrassed to say that the last scrapbook I made was for my son - I did the whole first year - and that was almost two years ago. I have done a page here and there but not a lot. I make cards almost nightly though...I made a baby card and a birthday card for my friend recently.Geny C. (aka Mommy Geny on SCS) "

Congratulations, Geny! Please email me your address so I can get these Oodagoodies out to you! Thank you to everyone who commented to win the Oodagoodies. You all had such great ideas and gifts that you recently made! I really enjoyed seeing photos of some of the things you made too! A lot of you scrapbook A LOT more than I do! :) I'm envious! :) You have inspired me to get moving on the scrapbooking though! Thanks again for playing and hopefully I'll see you later at naptime! :)

Reminder

Tomorrow morning at 10am EST is the drawing for my latest set of Oodagoodies! If you haven't signed up yet and would like a chance to win, make sure you go leave a comment telling me the last scrapbook or card set you made for someone as a gift!

Combined Challenge

Today's card is a combined challenge for today's Color Challenge on SCS, and Amy Westerman's Super Sketch Sunday #15 Challenge. I wish I had more time in the day, but it seems easier (lately, anyway) to combine some challenges so I can fit them all in! :) I haven't used my Bellas in a while, so I thought I'd ink this one up. I'm totally loving the 70's pants! Part of Amy's sketch challenge was to use paper piecing, so the Bella's top and pants are paper pieced using Vintage Violet and the striped pattern from the Palette O' Prints. I kind of like this color combo. I haven't used Vintage Violet hardly at all, so it was nice to have an excuse to use it. The ribbon is from May Arts and I just LOVE it! The sentiment is from my Little Lady set, by Papertrey Ink. It wasn't meant to be in the oval, but I stamped it on the white cardstock and it didn't stamp clearly, so I had to cover it up! I actually ended up liking it better! It kind of fills all that open space!

Thank you, so much, those of you who have signed my Guest Book so far. I can't believe all the places you guys are from! I've even reconnected with a friend from my theater past. . .it's unreal how small the world really is! As always, I really appreciate your visits! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Pregabella, Little Lady; Paper- Vintage Violet, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Palette O'Prints, White cardstock from Papertrey Ink; Ink- Palette in Noir, Old Olive, Bordering Blue, Blush Blossom, More Mustard; Accessories- paper piercer, May Arts ribbon, Old Olive marker, small oval punch.

Sign My Guest Book!

I got an email from Kristine Breach of Ink Something!, and she wanted to let me know that she had signed up for a Guest Book and while browsing the "skins" as they call them, she saw a ladybug one and thought I would like it. How sweet is that? (Thank you so much, Kristine!) So, I decided to try it out! After all, I would kind of like to know where all of you wonderful people who visit are from! So, if you have a minute, say hello and sign my guestbook! I'm interested to see just what a small world it is! :) You can scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to find it! Thank you so much! :)

I Finally Stamped!

I have not stamped in two days! My whole weekend was busy with rehearsal, and Arwen has been refusing to take naps for mommy. So, mommy's stamping time has been non-existent lately. I didn't finish Beate's sketch challenge until today! So, I thought I'd combine Beate's sketch challenge and today's Try a New Technique Challenge on SCS, Crayon Resist. I LOVED Beate's sketch, so I had to try it out with my new Little Lady stamp set by Papertrey Ink. You all KNEW I HAD to get this set, right? LOL I just replenished my stock of Regal Rose and Certainly Celery cardstock too, so I thought I'd go with the watermelon-like colors. As far as using the Crayon Resist technique, it's very subtle, but before stamping the bodies of the ladybugs on glossy cardstock, I colored the "spots" (that were already stamped in Jet Black StazOn) with a white crayon. Once I stamped the bodies, I rubbed over them with a paper towel, and the rose or celery ink came off of the spots leaving the white rings around the black spots. I think the piercing on this card makes it so dainty. It reminds me of the decor in my mother's home. For a finishing touch, I added Stardust Stickles to the centers of the flower on the background. They add just enough sparkle in real life. Thanks for visiting today. . .I really appreciate it! Hope you have a wonderful day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Little Lady, Papertrey Ink; Paper- Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, Glossy White, White from Papertrey Ink; Ink- Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, Jet Black StazOn, Palette ink in Noir; Accessories- Stardust Stickles, paper piercer, Mega Circle Punch, Giga Scallop circle punch, May Arts ribbon.

Another Wonderful RAK!

Just look at this beautiful RAK from Beate! What a nice surprise to get today! It even has my most favorite thing on it. . .ladybugs! Isn't this card just adorable? It's a 3x3 card, so it's size makes it even cuter! I don't know where Beate finds all the time to do all the posting and tutorials she does, let alone sending out RAK's to make someone's day. Thank you, Beate, for this beautiful card! You KNOW how much I love it! Thank you so much for thinking of me! I really appreciate it! :)

A Beautiful RAK!

Unfortunately, I didn't have any time to stamp today. . .BUT I do have something very special to share with you! I received this GORGEOUS RAK from Heather Stevens yesterday! This is the first I've been able to upload it. This card really made me smile! I just LOVE the butterflies with the diamond brads and the Cuttlebugging! Also, the Cuttlebug die cut "Thanks". . .just adorable! You can see Heather's other wonderful creations by visiting A Secret Garden Grows Here. I've just checked it out myself and she has some beautiful cards and adorable family pictures that she's shared! Thank you, Heather for this beautiful card. You really made my day, and I really appreciate it!

Super Sketch Sunday #14

This was for Amy's Super Sketch Sunday #14. . .LAST Sunday! I just keep getting later and later! This was definitely a more difficult sketch for me. I don't know why, maybe it was choosing the correct stamp set? I'm still not completely happy with the stamps I chose, but I finished the challenge! I couldn't let tomorrow's Super Sketch beat me posting last week's! :) I used some scraps from my stash. Actually maybe the pieces were too big to be considered scraps. . .but I didn't cut into any new paper for this one! I'm trying to work with what I've already got cut up. My scraps are getting out of control, so I really have to use them!

I'm off to rehearsal here shortly. It is exciting, though, because today and tomorrow are my last rehearsals! The show is finished and ready to go up! Woo hoo! It's always nice to have a finished product. Maybe when I get back from rehearsal I can check out what's happening over at Virtual Stamp Weekend! I haven't been able to take a peek yet, and I usually like to participate in that. I may have to miss this month. Thanks for visiting today and have a great Saturday! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Big Blooms, Studio G sentiment, Michael's $1 sentiment; Paper- DCWV turquoise, olive, Magnolia patterned paper, Pumpkin Pie; Ink- Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise; Accessories- Chocolate Chip marker, chocolate grosgrain ribbon.

Friendly Flowers

This was for today's Limited Supplies Challenge on SCS. . .to use one flower stamp, one sentiment, up to 3 colors of cardstock and a few embellishments and accessories. A lot of people don't like a challenge that gives you a specific list of supplies that you can use. I do. I guess it's because it narrows down my choices of what I can use. . .and when you have so many stamps, embellishments and accessories (like I do) sometimes it makes things a lot less overwhelming! Someone else does all the deciding for you! :) The flowers and the sentiment were both $1 stamps. The flower stamp was $1 Rhonna Farrer clear stamp I found at Joann's, and the "Friends" sentiment was a $1 wood mount I found at Joann's too. I actually bought it to go with a cute ladybug stamp that was in the $1 bin too, but I haven't used the ladybug yet. The cardstock is fun and colorful because it's from the DCWV Summer Cardstock Stack. I LOVE that watermelon shade of cardstock! Just delicious! I tried to mimic the dots on the flower stamp with the paper piercing around the top of the card. Just something different. Thanks for visiting today! Hope you have a wonderful Friday! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- $1 Rhonna Farrer flower stamp, $1 sentiment; Ink- VersaMagic in Black Midnight, Tempting Turquoise, Pixie Pink, Gable Green; Paper- DCWV Summer Cardstock stack; Accessories- pink polka dot ribbon from Doodliedoo, Making Memories brads, horizontal slot punch, paper piercer, Aquapainter.

Simple Smile

Today's Ways To Use It Challenge on SCS called for you to use small stamps. . .stamps that were 1.5" square or smaller. For me, unless I use small stamps for a background, my cards made with small stamps are always very simple. I used the Good Times set, which was one of my FAVORITES, but strangely, I never used it very much! I guess I never felt like I was "doing enough" if I made a card as simple as this. Honestly I LOVE when I see very simple cards like this, though. They're like a breath of fresh air. . .you don't have to think about it, you can just enjoy it! I colored the tulips in with a pink Prismacolor marker and added Stardust Stickles on top to give it some sparkle. The sentiment was stamped and punched out with a small circle punch to add a little dimension. The polka dot organdy ribbon is from Doodliedoo! I hope this brings you a smile today! Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Good Times; Paper- DCWV; Ink- Basic Black; Accessories- Light Green Polka Dot Organdy ribbon, small circle punch, Prismacolor markers, Stardust Stickles.

Beee Happy!

This was for today's Sketch Challenge on SCS. This was quite a challenge for me because I'm used to working with squares, rectangles and circles. These triangular pieces really threw me! It was tough to get them to line up. I'm glad I tried the challenge, though, because I do like the card! I used one of my bee images that Beate sent in my package! I just think they are the cutest! Thanks again, Beate! They are too cute! I may just have to break down and buy the stamps! LOL The sentiment I stamped using my Karen Foster Snap Stamps in Tiny Casual. I tried to add some doodling underneath the sentiment, but my doodling isn't the greatest. I don't really like it, but it's already done! Oh well! Thanks for visiting today! Beeee Happy! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Bee Daisy, Stampendous, Karen Foster Snap Stamps Tiny Casual; Ink- Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun, Chocolate Chip, Bordering Blue; Paper- DCWV dark brown, Magnolia patterned paper, Shimmery White; Accessories- Pumpkin Pie and Chocolate Chip markers, blender pen, Aquapainter, Making Memories brads, Sakura Stardust Clear gel pen.

Favorite Things

This was for today's Color Challenge on Splitcoast, Apricot Roses. I don't use Apricot Appeal too much and I don't know why because I really do like it! I LOVE it with this Rose Red and Turquoise! Colors I never would have put together myself! The patterned paper is my new Magnolia paper. I really like it! I used a turquoise shimmery gel pen for the faux stitching. You can't really see it in the picture. The ink I used was VersaMagic in Thatched Straw. It didn't show up as well as I would have liked on the turquoise cardstock, but you can read it better in real life than in this picture. What a fun challenge!

Thank you all who have posted so far on the latest set of Oodagoodies! You have all shared some REALLY neat ideas for gift items! I've really enjoyed reading what you've created and seeing pictures too, for those of you who have posted links! Such great stuff, and I really appreciate you sharing! I look forward to seeing more! Have a great day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Marcella Special Occasions stamp set; Paper- DCWV Turquoise, Magnolia patterned paper, Apricot Appeal; Ink- VersaMagic in Thatched Straw; Accessories- paper piercer, turquoise grosgrain ribbon, Prima flowers, Making Memories brad, slit punch, ticket corner punch, turquoise sparkle gel pen.

Time for More Oodagoodies!

I'm long overdue for some Oodagoodies, but I just couldn't decide what to give away! Then I came across this in my craft room and thought it would be a little something different. Those of you who are Heidi Swapp fans will LOVE this. It's a whole set of her embellishments complete with a 6x6 scrapbook! I, personally, LOVE all of her "ghost-ware". . .the ghost alphabets, the ghost flowers, hearts! Some of my favorites! This set has chipboard letters, ribbons, "bling", divider tabs, scrapbooking tape. . .as you can see by the closeup picture, there are 567 pieces in this set! WOW! It really is a great set. I bought a couple and have used one for a scrapbook on my husband and I (since we didn't really have one), and it was fun and pretty easy since everything goes together! I tried to get a good picture of the whole set, but I couldn't seem to get one without any glare. Hopefully you can see well enough! So, in order to win this set of Oodagoodies, post a comment telling me the last scrapbook you made for someone, (or if you don't scrapbook) the last card set you made for someone and what the occasion was. If you've got a picture of that creation, post a link with your comment because I'd LOVE to see it! :) You have until next Wednesday morning, May 23 at 10am EST to post a comment. I look forward to reading about your last gift creation! Good luck, and have a wonderful day! As always, thank you for visiting!

A Beautiful RAK!

Look at this beautiful RAK I got today from Allison! You all know Allison over at Stampin' When I Can, don't you?! She is the blog information queen, keeping us all informed of what's happening on everyone's blog. . .and STILL finds time to stamp beautiful things herself, comment on everyone's blog and send RAKs!!!! Isn't she amazing? I feel so lucky to have received this wonderful card from her! Look at all the "bling" on those flowers! WOW! And that ribbon is just gorgeous! Allison, you absolutely made my day! Thank you SO much for thinking of me and sending this card! If you haven't yet visited Allison's blog, you will LOVE it! You will always be "in the know" about everything that's going on, complete with links to get you there! When she posts creations, they are just awesome! You will definitely add her to your list of daily blogs to visit!

Morning Warm Up

This was for today's Try a New Technique Challenge on SCS, Let's Warm Up. Valerie's challenge was to make a 3x3 card that took no longer than 15 minutes to make. It was a lot of fun! Her purpose was to get your juices flowing by doing this every morning, even if you don't really have time to stamp! You can read all about it on her blog. I think it's a great idea! I will definitely be doing this more often! What a great way to use up smaller scraps AND have little notecards ready to attach to a gift? Not to mention just getting your creative juices flowing! Give the challenge a try! It really is a lot of fun! I stamped "A Little Something" from Fancy Flexible Phrases on a white Great Big Brad from Hot Off the Press. I just kept my fingers crossed that it worked because the sentiment JUST fit with no room for error! I really wanted to use THAT particular sentiment because of the size of the card! I thought it would be cute. Thanks for stopping by today and have a wonderful day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Fancy Flexible Phrases; Paper- DCWV green, Wild Asparagus patterned paper; Ink- StazOn Jet Black; Accessories- Great Big Brad by Hot Off the Press, Prima flower, May Arts ric rac, word window punch, paper piercer.

Happy Mother's Day

Here's what I ended up making for my mother and my mother-in-law for Mother's Day. I think they really liked them! I used Beate's Jacob's Ladder Tutorial. I filled them all up with pictures, so the only real "embellishing" was on the cover. The patterned paper is my new Wild Asparagus paper with "Happy Mother's Day" embossed in gold. I added the corners and then faux stitched around the cover and used a gold gel pen for the "thread". The Jacob's Ladder is a pretty quick project and is VERY neat! I could watch the pictures "roll down" all day! :) If you haven't tried the tutorial, give it a try. . .I really think you'll like it! I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!

A Poetically Artistic Sketch

Julee over at Poetic Artistry is having a card contest. She's posted a sketch for you to use. I thought my new Ladybug Topper stamp would work perfectly! It's a little bigger of a circle than I would probably use if I had used another stamp, but I think it still works! Again, I used some of my new Wild Asparagus patterned papers. . .I really like them a lot! I added some brads to the centers of the circles at the bottom left of the card, and paper piercing around the green patterned paper. Everything else is pretty self-explanatory, I think. Hope you like it! Now I've got to finish my Mother's Day gifts! Won't be able to show those until after tomorrow just in case my mother or mother-in-law read my blog before they receive their gifts! Hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Ladybug Topper by Stampendous; Paper- Wild Asparagus, Whisper White, True Thyme; Ink- Basic Black, Cranberry Crisp, Always Artichoke, Old Olive, So Saffron; Accessories- Paper piercer, antique brads, small circle punch, artichoke grosgrain ribbon, Aquapainter, Coluzzle.

A Fresh and Fun Sketch

I finally had a little time to stamp a couple of cards today! If you've visited Beate's blog lately, you'll know that she's posted a sketch for you make a card from in order to qualify to win Fresh and Fun Freebies! I enjoy doing sketch challenges, so I really wanted to give this one a try. I got some new paper from My Mind's Eye Wild Aspargus. I was really attracted to this orange patterned paper, and I'm not usually an "orange" kind of person. I also thought this deep shade of blue went well with the orange. That's how I came up with the color combo. . .by just looking at colors of paper together. The watercoloring was taken from there. I especially LOVE how this new May Arts ribbon I got in my "package" the other day, matches the blue cardstock! What a fun sketch! Thanks, Beate, for the challenge! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Polka Dots & Paisley, Doodle This, Doodle That; Paper- DCWV Blue, brown, Wild Asparagus patterned paper; Ink- VersaMagic in Ocean Depth, Basic Brown, Pumpkin Pie; Accessories- May Arts ribbon, large oval punch, paper piercer, blue glitter glue, Aquapainter, blue bling.

A RAK!

Look at what I received in the mail yesterday! How sweet is this? It's from Angie over at Quacking Creations. Some of you may know her as Duckwaddlequack on SCS. I can't believe I got an Angie original! :) I've always admired Angie's work because she does a lot of the "heavily embellished" stuff that is just gorgeous and I envy because I can't pull it off myself! This was such a nice surprise. As if the card wasn't enough, there was this Rhonna Farrer stamp inside! That is just too sweet! Thank you so much, Angie, for making my day! If you haven't visited Angie's blog, you really should! She makes the most wonderful cards and even shares beautiful pictures of nature! Go and check her out!

For those of you who responded to my "how do you keep your little children busy" post. . .THANK YOU! I was beginning to feel as if I was the only mother whose daily routine was getting boring to both me, and my girls! It's nice to know I'm not alone! If any of you come up with new and exciting ideas, please be sure and let me know! Have a great day!

Limited Supplies

Another Challenge! This was for today's Limited Supply Challenge on SCS, Wide Open Spaces. The challenge was to leave wide open spaces on your card and not fill them up with patterned paper, background stamps, dry embossing or embellishments. I didn't realize how much I always want to add to a card until I'm not allowed to! LOL I do like the clean simplicity of the finished product, though! I haven't used this stamp set in a LONG time either! Had to dust it off! Well, thank you for visiting today! Have a wonderful Friday! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Haute Couture; Paper- Green Galore, Yo Yo Yellow, Basic Black, Whisper White; Ink- Basic Black; Accessories- paper piercer, horizontal slot punch, Gingham ribbon, pastels, slit punch.

Four Squares

This card was for this past Wednesday's Sketch Challenge on SCS. I don't think I've ever used this layout for a card. I really had to think about it. I also didn't know what to do with the fourth cow. I'm not crazy about the coloring, but it will work. It also has some sparkle thanks to my Stardust Gel pen! All in all a simple layout, but when you're not used to it, it really becomes a challenge!

Hope your Friday is going well. We're not exactly sure what we're going to do today. "Daddy's" gone for the whole day, so it's just me and the girls. For those of you with real little ones, do you ever find it a real challenge to keep the kids occupied when they don't yet go to school and spend the entire day with you? Do you find it a real challenge not to go crazy yourself? I was just wondering if I was the only one! :) Have a great day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Very Punny; Paper- DCWV Pink, Black, Whisper White; Ink- Basic Black; Accessories- Offray ribbon, Pretty in Pink and Basic Black markers, Stardust Gel pen.

Just For You

Now that you've seen that wonderful package I received from Beate, you can imagine how eager I was to make something with my new stamp! The Bee card that was in the package was a Joy Fold card. (click on the link for Beate's wonderful tutorial!) Since, the stamp is a circle, I modified the card a little and made the "inside" part a circle card! I used my Circle Coluzzle on a piece of folded black cardstock, and made sure that the circle template went over the one edge so that the one side would still be connected.

The "full ladybug" that the circle card "latches" under was made by stamping and coloring the ladybugs you see on the stamp, and then putting them together "belly to belly" to make a full round ladybug. I had to color in the dots with a black marker so that they would line up better. I added wire for the round ladybug's antennae. "Just For You" is traced over in Stardust Stickles. The flower has yellow stickles over top and some bling added to the center. I'm so happy with how this card turned out. . .and I LOVE my new stamp! Oh the things I can make with it! Thanks for visiting today! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Stampendous Ladybug Topper, Dot from Green Thumb; Ink- Basic Black; Paper- DCWV Glitter Stack Black with White Dots, Red, Green and Black, Whisper White; Accessories- Circle Coluzzle, Basic Black marker, Prismacolor Pencils, Gamsol, stump, Stardust and Yellow Stickles, wire, bling from Walmart, circle punch.

Beautiful Beate!

Can you believe this package? I could not! I got this yesterday (after getting home very late) and just could not sleep from being so excited and in awe! Beate found this ladybug stamp and thought of me, but couldn't wait for my birthday in July to send it! LOL I just cannot believe she did this! The Bee card is just adorable! The extra bee images she stamped for me may have started another addiction! LOL All of this gorgeous ribbon and the Blog Friends book! I just cannot get over how generous and thoughtful she is! What a wonderful way to end a day! Thank you, Beate, for being the wonderfully thoughtful person you are! I am so touched, you have no idea! BIG HUGS!!!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

This morning while Arwen, my 10-month old napped, I thought I'd stamp a little bit. All of the sudden, I thought Savannah, my 3 year old was a little TOO quiet, so I went to check on her and this is what I found! Do you think she watches her mother too closely? She has her own stamps and stamp pads and everything and has been stamping for quite a while. (Can't you tell by how WELL USED the yellow Stampin' Up kids stamp pad looks on her table?) LOL I never actually taught her to color her stamps with markers, though. Notice, she has one of her BIG OL' Disney Princess markers? This picture was just too darn cute, I had to run and quietly get my camera before she noticed I was watching her! Right out of bed and still in her pajamas. . .just like a true stamper! :)

Super Sketch Sunday #13

Another wonderful sketch from Amy over at Heartfelt Greetings! I am addicted! I look forward to every Sunday. Even if I don't have time to actually do them on Sunday, I at least HAVE to check to see if it's there! LOL I didn't have any sentiments that were big enough to fit in the "sentiment block" on the sketch, so I decided to fill the sentiment block with a cut out flower from Big Blooms with the sentiment as the center of the flower. I think it worked well. If you have the Big Blooms set, you know that the largest flower's center isn't perfectly round, so when I punched out a large circle to fit over the center, there were a few white spots showing on a couple of the edges, so I used Purple Stickles to "cover them up", and add a nice bit of sparkle to the flower. The large flower grommets are part of a new toy I just got! The Making Memories Grommet Set! I have seen this in different scrapbooking magazines and have LOVED it! I was browsing through Michael's one day and there it was! You can imagine how happy I was. . .especially when I had a 40% off coupon! :) I got the grommet setting kit and an extra pack with these flower grommets in it. If you can believe it, these are the "smaller" grommets of the bunch! There are HUGE circles that I haven't used yet! I thought this sketch was the perfect time to use these flower grommets though! To finish the card off, I did some faux stitching around the edges of the layers. . .bet you can't tell I LOVE faux stitching, can you?!! I'm really happy with how the card turned out! Thank you, Amy, for another WONDERFUL sketch! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- In My Thoughts, Big Blooms; Paper- DCWV Glitter Stack, Light Blue, Certainly Celery; Ink- Regal Rose, Basic Black; Accessories- Paper piercer, white gel pen, Purple Stickles, large circle punch, Making Memories Glower Grommets and Grommet Setting kit.

Simple Shower Invitations

I finally finished my sister's shower invitations. I had to go VERY simple because they had to be finished yesterday, and since that's when I started them. . .well, you get the picture! :) I started out coloring them in with Prismacolor pencils and gamsol, but that was taking entirely too long, so I switched to pastels and a blender pen. I wish I had more time to work on them because they look rather plain to me, but my sister liked them and that's what's important. She knows she's having a boy, so that's why the colors are blues and yellows. I colored the bow on her belly in with a Gelly Roll sparkly pen, but you can't really see it in the picture. In real life, it adds just the right amount of sparkle. I thought about using lime Stickles, but thought of the drying time and didn't want all of these invitations ruined by wet stickles! So, now all my "must stamp" projects are finished! My husband has his thank you gifts, and my sister has her invitations. Now I can breathe a little and stamp for fun! I really want to do a little scrapbooking! I have some REALLY cute pictures of the girls from this past week that are screaming to be put on a page! Not to mention I should really start thinking about what to do for Mother's Day! Any suggestions for someone who is short on time? I've seen a few mini scrapbooks lately that are REALLY cute. Maybe I'll make some of those if they don't take too long! Thanks for visiting! Hope you are enjoying some beautiful weather today! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Teddybella, Michael's $1 stamp; Paper- DCWV; Ink- Basic Black; Accessories- Polka Dot Organdy ribbon from Doodliedoo, Prismacolor pencils, gamsol, stump, pastels, blender pen, Gelly Roll sparkly pen.

Finished Gift Set

Well, I decided to go with the tote bag packaging. I thought it would be cute. So, these are what the gift sets will look like finished. Each set has 5 cards and envelopes inside. I think the people my husband is giving them to will really like them! I just hope they like the colors! Not everybody likes the whole brown/pink color combo! The ribbon I used for the handles is actually ribbon with an adhesive backing. It makes it REALLY quick to attach the handles instead of having to cut and apply sticky strip and then peel off the backing! The only thing you have to do is brush baby powder on the part of the handle that isn't attached to the bag. The baby powder makes the adhesive "unsticky". I picked some up at my local craft store a while ago and have only used it a couple of times. I keep forgetting I have it! :) On a side note, some of you have asked me what a One Sheet Wonder is and where to find one. A One Sheet Wonder is basically a pattern for cutting up a piece of cardstock so that you can use each of those pieces on a separate card. There are MANY different one sheet wonders, it just depends on who made it as to how many pieces it may have. This particular one I used was in the April Stampin' Success magazine and was for a 12x12 sheet of patterned paper. The paper was cut into 16 different pieces. Each piece went on a different card. I added other cardstock to layer the patterned pieces and focal pieces, but you don't have to. There is a whole gallery on SCS dedicated to One Sheet Wonders. Here is a link to an actual pattern that was posted in the forums. I hope I've answered your questions! Have fun trying it out! Thanks for visiting today!

Gift Sets

Well, I finally finished those card sets that my husband asked for as thank yous. I used a One Sheet Wonder (OSW) template for a 12x12 sheet of patterned paper that makes 16 cards. Since my husband wanted 4 card sets, I wanted to put 5 cards in each set, so I had to add an extra four cards with an additional piece of the patterned paper to make 20 cards in all. I think they turned out pretty well. The card layouts for the OSW were a bit simple, so I added stamping on the background, or paper piercing to give them more interest. I had a lot of fun making them, but I have to say that I'm glad I'm finished! LOL Now I just have to decide on packaging. . .whether I want a stationery folder or tote bag packaging. When I finish those, I'll show you the whole finished project. These pictures show each card layout within the OSW. Hope you like them! More importantly, I hope the people who are receiving these like them! Thanks for stopping by today! SUPPLIES USED- Stamps- Green Thumb, Paper Tray, Butterfly Kisses; Paper- DCWV Glitter Stack, Orange, Pink, Dark Brown, Cream, and Whisper White; Ink- VersaMagic in Jumbo Java, Pumpkin Spice, Gingerbread, Tea Leaves, Pink Petunia, and Pixie Dust; Accessories- Paper piercer, grosgrain ribbon, horizontal slot punch, Making Memories brads.

Party Invitation

This wasn't what I had planned for my post today. I had planned to post the gift sets I made for my husband to give as thank yous, but I didn't get them all finished. I'm almost there, though, so maybe tomorrow! While I was looking through my card samples for an idea for my sister's shower invitations, I came across this card that I made for a swap quite a while ago. . .maybe over a year ago! It made me smile because I really liked the pinks, and the card always reminded me of bubbles blowing around with girls in pretty party dresses. Since Savannah was outside blowing bubbles today, I thought I would share this card with you and hope it would make you smile too. I'm not sure if this is the pattern I'll use for my sister's invitations, but it's a refreshing layout for me anyway! Hope you have a wonderful day! SUPPLIES USED- Stamps- Simply Sweet, Simply Circles, Pure and Simple Alphabet; Paper- Rose Romance, Basic Black, Whisper White; Ink- Pretty in Pink, Rose Romance, Basic Black; Accessories- gingham ribbon, circle punches

Super Sketch Sunday on Thursday!

Well, I finally got to Amy's Super Sketch Sunday Challenge, and it's Thursday! Time just seems to be disappearing for me lately. This is one of my FAVORITE challenges to do every week, and I just can't believe it took me this long to get to it. I usually do it on Sunday, but this past Sunday was busy with rehearsal, and my husband was gone all day with choir concerts. . .so no break for mommy! I even had to take BOTH girls to rehearsal with me. Anyway, I LOVE to do Amy's sketches. If you haven't visited Amy's blog, you should. . .and try one of her challenges! I did my first Scrap Stash Saturday Challenge this past Saturday. It really makes for a lot of fun and inspiration. . .especially if you don't have TIME to think up a starting point for your card! LOL This card could actually be used for both challenges because I got the patterned paper out of my scrap stash! Trying to use up those scraps! Hopefully the next thing you'll see me post is some thank you sets for my husband or shower invites for my sister! I just have to be inspired to come up with something cute and creative. They may end up being very simple so I can just get them finished! Thanks for visiting and have a beautiful day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Riveting, Faux Ribbon; Paper- DCWV Spring Stack, Basic Black, Certainly Celery; Ink- VersaMagic Midnight Black, Red Magic, SU Real Red; Accessories- small and large oval punch, red ric rak, circle punches, Cuttlebug Flower die, button from Making Memories, black grosgrain.

RAK Day!

Yesterday, I received two BEAUTIFUL RAKs in the mail! I was so surprised and very excited! The first one is by Michele Kovack over at Thoughts of a Cardmaking Scrapbooker! Isn't it just the cutest? I LOVE how she used her Cuttlebug Script embossing folder on the big scalloped piece of cardstock behind the focal image. I just LOVE this Bella stamp too! Let's hope I can look like that when I'm THAT pregnant! LOL Thank you so much, Michele, for thinking of me and sending this card! What a nice surprise! If you haven't already checked out Michele's blog, I highly recommend it! She does a lot of wonderful things! She makes BEAUTIFUL scrapbook pages that I wish I could make!

The second card I received is from Natasha Trupp at Palmtrees and Pogosticks! I just LOVE this doggie! He is SO CUTE! I have admired Natasha's work for a very long time. I visited her blog regularly, long before I even thought of starting my own. She makes some of the most adorable cards ever! And she's quite an enabler! LOL I have ended up buying a lot of stamp sets simply because of the wonderful cards she's made with them! You must visit her blog. . . just remember, I warned you! :) Natasha, thank you so much for thinking of me! What a sweet, sweet card! I LOVE it!

Hopefully I can get a little stamping of my own done today! I still haven't made those thank you sets for my husband! I better get on that! Plus, my baby sister (who is due with her first baby in June) asked me to make invitations for her shower. I really need to get busy on these things! Where does the time go? Have a great day, and hopefully I'll post a little later!

Have a Great Day!

I am still loving my Basic Grey papers that I got from Doodliedoo! These papers are from the Pheobe series. The layout for this card came from today's Sketch Challenge on SCS. First I stamped the butterflies on the Whisper White cardstock and thought I was going to watercolor them. I decided at the last minute that it looked too dull, so I stamped them on a rust, pink and blue paper from the Pheobe stack and cut them out. Then I ran them through my Xyron upside down to make the fronts sticky and dipped them in glitter and adhered them over the original stamped butterflies. I added some bling for their "heads" too. You can't really tell from the picture, but the pink butterfly is raised on dimensionals. I wish the band of patterned paper that runs across the middle of the card was better seen. It's one of my favorite patterns in the stack and most of it is covered up by the focal image. Guess I"ll have to make another card to showcase that paper a little more, huh? Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Rhonna Ferrer Butterfly, Studio G sentiment; Paper- Basic Grey Pheobe, Whisper White; Ink- VersaMagic Black Midnight; Accessories- horizontal slot punch, May Arts ribbon, Xyron, glitter, bling from Walmart, paper piercer.

Think Pink

This was for today's Color Challenge on SCS, Think Pink. I wanted to use my Palette O'Prints again! I just LOVE the pink in the set. It's Rose Red, a color I hardly ever use. I haven't used my Think Big set in a while either, so I thought I'd combine that with Doodle This. I thought it worked well to have the "wish" as the flower center. Once I stamped "big" on the patterned paper, I thought it needed a little something to stand out, so I took my white gel pen and outlined the left sides of the letters. I think it gave it just the right amount of whatever it needed to stand out a little more. I'm really happy with how it turned out. The best part about it is that I was in a hurry because we have to get out the door, and everything came together in the first try. Usually I have to fiddle around with things until I get the card the way I like it. Don't you LOVE when it just comes together quickly? Especially when you're in a hurry? It is a gorgeous day here today, which is a nice surprise because it was supposed to thunderstorm. Maybe the storms are coming later? Well, I'm going to enjoy it while it's nice! Thanks for visiting today and have a wonderful day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Doodle This, Think Big; Ink- Basic Black, Rose Red; Paper- Palette O'Prints, Basic Black, Whisper White; Accessories- Offray ribbon, white gel pen, circle punch, hole punch, slit punch, stickles.