Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Tuesday's color challenge

*gasp* I'm stamping in the middle of the week!

It might actually happen often this week - and earlier in the day too. I go in later than normal for the rest of the week - which gives me a bit more stamping time in the mornings.

Anyway, back to the card. The colors for today are Purely Pomegranate, Soft Sky and Basic Black. A very pretty combo and it works perfectly into my need for a sympathy card - one of my SCS friends had her grandfather pass away over the weekend.

All stamps on the card come from Papertrey's Garden of Life set. I stamped the solid flower in Soft Sky and layered the outline on top in Purely Pomegranate. The image panel is edged in Palette Noir (I dragged the ink pad down the edge) and the Soft Sky layer below is edged in Purely Pomegranate. The centers of the flowers have Cloud 9 Rain Drops as their centers.

The sentiment strip is 1/2" of leftover Purely Pomegranate cardstock with black velvet ribbon layered over top and the sentiment punched out with the word window punch.
Stamps: Papertrey - Garden of Life. Paper: Basic Black, Purely Pomegranate, Soft Sky (cs and dp), white. Ink: Soft Sky, Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi, Palette Noir. Accessories: word window punch, dimensionals, rain drops, velvet ribbon.

It's cold here again. If anyone who has warm weather could send a bit my way, I'd appreciate it.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

I got my Incentive money!

Hurray for Direct Deposit!

I just checked my checking account online - and I had a deposit from the US Treasury. Spending incentive money!

Now to figure out what I want to spend part of it on. The other part is going into my Savings account.

Speaking of the savings account....

I only had a checking account up until 2 weeks ago when I set the savings account up. My thought is "It's a place I can SAVE money and not be able to use it easily." I got a check card from my bank for the savings account. Why on Earth do I get a card for a place where I want to SAVE money?

I just don't get it.

Any suggestions on what I should get with my spending incentive?

Friday, April 25, 2008

Papertrey Blog Hop

Okay, it's my first blog hop. Please be patient. I'm not one of the 25 people chosen, I just decided I wanted to do the challenge. :)

The challenge was to use the Father Knows Best dp and little pieces of it. Since I didn't buy any when I ordered the last time *slaps hand* I used the print-off version that Nichole was kind enough to give us as a PDF.

SO... Here's my card. I edged one of the patterns with Lemon Tart ink. The card's hopefully going to be read as Happy Cupcake Day. I've been in the mood for cupcakes for 3 weeks now.
Stamps: Papertrey - It's a Celebration. Paper: Whisper White, Close to Cocoa, Papertrey Lemon Tart, Father Knows Best dp. Ink: Palette Burnt Umber, Papertrey Lemon Tart, Close to Cocoa Marker. Accessories: 1 1/4" square punch, dimensionals, Crystal Stickles.

I had a lot of fun making this card today.

I'm glad it's the weekend - and I don't have to go to work tomorrow.

Wishing everyone beautiful weather!



**I've edited in a better picture of the card - I was in a hurry this morning when I took the original picture**

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

I've been awarded!

So I get a quickie post off about my life - and I start blog hopping. Turns out Silvia at http://mabiestampin.blogspot.com/ has nominated me for the Arte Y Pico award. I love her blog too!

Hmmm... Who to award...
Jessica because she's so creative with her Dollar Fridays.
Kathy because her work's amazing.
Manda because she's a great friend.
Wendy because's she just so sweet and her cards rock!
Keri because she's a sweetie and I love her cards.

I've also been nominated by Silvia for 10 weird random facts (apparently I don't rant enough ;)) :
1) I love to cook. I just don't get the time to do it very often.
2) My little brother isn't so little - he's 6'3" and he's a cheffie.
3) I need to do my laundry.
4) I'm a romance novel junkie.
5) My nephew is 2 1/2 years old and a genius. He can name the planets and is starting to read.
6) I'm not married.
7) I randomly go on cleaning fits. I'll grab a vacuum, Endust, whatever and clean.
8) I want a Prius.
9) One of my roommates from college is moving and another is getting married - which I'm going to with yet another! (Did I lose anyone with that?)
10) I've raided my LSS's clearance area for thin double sided designer paper. I'm doing origami with the daycare kids over the summer - and it's cheaper than actual origami paper.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Is it Friday yet?

I know that Tuesday is almost over here (as I'm typing it's 11:51pm) and I haven't done any cardmaking since Sunday.

I'm still working on my wish list.
  • Crafts and general supplies through July 18th are finished - just need to type it up to make it look all nice and professional.
  • Lunches and "special" snacks list - the snacks that we don't normally have during the school year - is almost finished. I spent the better part of an hour wandering around the newly opened Meijer pricing stuff. I have most of it.
  • Field trips... oh, field trips. Not even close. I need to solidify figure out where I want to go. I polled the kids who were going to be at daycare over the summer and they want to go to Double JJ Ranch - which we went to a few years ago. I don't think I'm going to go there - too expensive for the amount of stuff we can do.

Hopefully I'll get back to crafting sometime this week. Sorry for ranting.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

I've been stamping...

I just haven't had the time to get anything photographed or uploaded.

Life's taking over yet again. Especially since I need to get my heinie in gear and write out my "Wish List" for daycare - the $ I need for crafts and field trips for summer through the middle of July. Because apparently daycare has nothing in our budget. It's a little confusing because we bring in a lot over the course of a year - how can we be out of $? We are part of a school district... I wonder if they're taking our profits.

Okay, rant over.

I made a card for today's Featured Stamper: Sparklegirl. Her gallery is incredible - so clean and pretty.

I chose this card:
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/852035 to CASE.

No stamping was done on this card!
Stamps: NONE! Paper: Blue Bayou, Basic Gray, White. Ink: Distress Inks - Antique Linen and Tea Dye, SU reinker (for the pearl pin) - Blue Bayou. Accessories: Cuttlebug, ribbon, dimensionals, primas, brad, silver and pearl beads, pearl pin, diamond glaze.

It's a gorgeous day here - it's almost 80 outside and it's sunny today. Hope your day is sunshiney!


Tuesday, April 15, 2008

There was a sale...

at Hobby Lobby today. Actually it's going on all week. 30% off Cuttlebug stuff. Not as good as the 50% sale at Michaels last week, but not too bad.

Soooo...

I am now the proud owner of a Cuttlebug and 3 embossing folders: Swiss Dots, Script, and D'vine Swirl. Oh, and the little freebie die and embossing folder that came in the box.

I had to clean my stamp table in celebration. I don't think I've seen it this clean since before Christmas. Maybe I'll take pictures.

Just a random thought: What is it about a newly washed car that calls all the birds in the neighborhood to find it and poop on it? Are clean cars magnets for bird poop? My car sits outside every night and it gets pooped on only AFTER I go through a car wash.

Hoping that your cars don't get pooped on,

Tuesday Catch-up

I actually had the card for yesterday's challenge done yesterday morning before work. I just didn't have time to take a picture or upload it.

Here it is. :) The technique for yesterday was to create a double pocket card. The tutorial is on my friend Judy's blog: http://jarfullofjoy.blogspot.com/ It's really easy to do. I taped the card together then added a snap to make sure everything stayed where it needed to be.
Stamps: Papertrey - Simple Little Things. Paper: Bali Breeze dp, Old Olive, Rose Red, white. Ink: Taken with Teal, Pumpkin Pie. Accessories: ribbon, jumbo eyelets, snap, corner rounder.


I had time today to do my color challenge card and upload it. Today's colors are: Basic Gray, Groovy Guava, Blush Blossom. I love Groovy Guava and Blush Blossom together - they're monochromatic and look fabulous. I love Stampin' Kub's tutorial for Dyeing Pearls because I think the little touch of shimmery pearl that matches pops.

Stamps: Fabulous Flowers. Paper: Blush Blossom, Groovy Guava (cs and dp), Basic Gray. Ink: Basic Gray (edging a layer), Groovy Guava. Accessories: brads, ticket corner punch, slit punch, ribbon, pearl corsage pin, Diamond Glaze, Groovy Guava reinker, pearl bead, dimensionals.

Last night was the Papertrey release. Since I haven't bought anything since January, I went a little crazy there this morning.


A little tidbit: check out Kim V's blog (she's the MFT Lady and in my blog roll) for a special that she's running through Friday. **I'm not affiliated with MFT stamps at all, I thought Kim's doing something great and that I wanted to pass the news on**

It's supposed to be in the 60s today. *happy dance* Hope it's sunny and warm where you are!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Why??????

Life took over again. Really. When's a girl supposed to stamp and blog? Theorhetically, this upcoming week should be better. We'll see when we get there.

I've done some stamping over the last few days (read Friday night and today) but I didn't take pictures or upload anything until today.

I made a card for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #43. I have had Lovely as a Tree since the beginning of February (it was in my pre-Lent spending spree) and I hadn't inked it up. I figured it was time - especially since I couldn't figure out what to put in that bottom box. I love how my Ink, Spray and Smash paper turned out. The paper on the card is the bottom piece of paper(the one you originally ink up) though it's been through 3 presses of other cardstock. The tree is stamped in Chocolate Chip and watercolored with reinkers (note to self: you have Palette Burnt Umber - close to the same color and WATERPROOF. USE IT!) The studs are We R Memory Keepers large snaps. It was interesting trying to figure out what combination of numbers and letters I needed to use on my cropadile to get them to set properly.
Stamps: Lovely as a Tree. Paper: Chocolate Chip, Brocade Blue, Groovy Guava, Glossy White. Ink: Brocade Blue, Groovy Guava, Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery reinker. Accessories: water, ticket corner punch, snaps, cropadile, dimensionals.

The card I made today was for the Featured Stamper. I had a hard time choosing in Kharmagirl's gallery - it's fabulous. But I did find this card: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/729620 that I loved. Time to change the colors and a few other things. Instead of brads, I used Stickles Crystal and Frosted Lace for the middles of my flowers.
Stamps: Papertrey Little Lady. Paper: Chocolate Chip, Blue Bayou, white. Ink: Chocolate Chip, Blue Bayou. Accessories: Stickles, white primsacolor pencil, dimensionals, ribbon.

Wishing everyone a fun weekend and a great week!

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

A color challenge to be leery about

In the past 11 months I have been playing on Splitcoast, there have been color challenges that cause me to go "umm...." Most of the time I'm pleasantly surprised even when they use colors that I don't normally use.

Not today. Today's colors are: Real Red, Glorious Green, and Night of Navy. Glorious Green is a very yucky color in my opinion. It's a very Kelly green that I can never seem to look good. I wanted to minimize it on my card.

The background paper is stamped with the Papertrey Anniversary Set. I love the dp I made with it using Night of Navy. I then sponged Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Ink over the edges to antique it.

I stamped the medallion in Real Red on white, punched it out with a 1 1/4" circle punch. It's layered on a 1 3/8" circle punch in Night of Navy and a SU scallop circle punch in Real Red. The edges of the scallops are sponged with Distress Ink. A brad and Stickles finish it off.

The sentiment was stamped in Glorious Green on white. The paper was sponged with Tea Dye and Vintage Photo Distress Inks.

This card is going the mom of a friend of mine. She was taken to the hospital on Sunday night for what is has turned out to be an intestinal blockage. I really hope she does feel better soon.

Stamps: Papertrey - Simple Little Things (anniversary set). Paper: Real Red, Glorious Green, Night of Navy, white. Ink: Glorious Green, Real Red, Night of Navy, Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Vintage Photo and Tea Dye. Accessories: ribbon, brad, paper piercer, stickles, dimensionals, sponge, corner rounder punch, 1 1/4" 1 3/8" and SU scallop circle punches.

I hope that tomorrow's a sunny warm day for everyone!


Monday, April 7, 2008

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

*running in with my Papertrey Anniversary set that arrived in the mail today*

IT'S MINE! ALL MINE!

Can't wait to get all inky and play!

The joy of new stamps!

I had to get someone else to open the box because I wasn't sure what it was and I was worried that I might spoil my Spring Fling gift.

But it's free PAPERTREY!!!!!

*running out again*

Sunday, April 6, 2008

*gasp* 3 Days in a ROW????

Yes, I'm posting 3 days in a row. :) Scary, ain't it?

I got the Featured Stamper card done for today and I decided I should display it on here.

The card I CASEd is: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/748219

I liked the layout and the fact that she used Basic Grey papers. I happen to have a 6x6 pack of one of the new collections: Boxer. I love it and it's really cute. I'll probably have to grab some full sheets of some of the patterns.
Stamps: Embrace Life. Paper: Always Artichoke, Ruby Red, Soft Sky, Very Vanilla, Basic Grey Boxer dp. Ink: Always Artichoke. Accessories: ribbon, brads, aquapainter, dimensionals.

It was a beautiful day here today. I think spring has finally arrived to my little corner of the world. I just wish I didn't have this cold and I hope I didn't pass it onto the kid I babysat last night.

Wishing all of you non-sneezy and non-stuffy nose days this week,

Saturday, April 5, 2008

The clipboard

I said yesterday that I was working on a clipboard to be used at work.

I got it finished last night. I think it rocks.

No stamps, just an old clipboard, some My Mind's Eye papers, Mod Podge, ribbon, Basic Grey chipboard letters, embossing powder, and Distress Ink.

The T is for Tami and the S is for Sue (the 2 people who will be using it.)
Stamps: NONE! Paper: My Mind's Eye dp. Ink: Distress Inks - Mahogany. Accessories: clipboard, white paint, Mod Podge, Basic Grey Chipboard letters, Basic Grey Precision Files, silver embossing powder, ribbon.

It's a glorious day today - the sun is shining, not a cloud in the sky, and it's 60 out! *happy dance!*

Sunny skies for everyone!

Friday, April 4, 2008

My Runaway Stamping Time

Hello.

Have you seen my stamping time? It's run away. I miss it and desperately want it back.


Seriously, the last card I made was Tuesday. I haven't had time to stamp until this morning - I've been too busy with other stuff. Mostly work-related stuff.

I'm SO glad today's Friday - 6.5 hours and I'm done for the week.

Plus I'll get the chance to finish the clipboard I started this morning (late start at work today) and show it off. I like how it looks so far - I'm about halfway done: the back's painted and the pieces of paper are Mod Podge'd on. Still need to trim the paper to be smooth on the edges, add some embellies to personalize it.

I'd show off the other project I was working on while paint was drying on the clipboard, but my Bud for the Challenge Chasers Random Acts of Kindness's (CCRAK's) Spring Fling looks at my blog. The Spring Fling is a secret person swap that's going on over April and May. I really like who I was chosen for me.

The sun's now out after a rainy morning. Hope it's shining down on you,

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Moving quickly this morning

Let's see: gallery set up to upload, check; post started on blog, check, photoshop up and running for quick photo fixes and watermark addition, check.

It's 8:45 and I have to be out of the house in an hour to get to work on time. And I want to stamp the Color Challenge before then: Mellow Moss, Apricot Appeal, Cameo Coral, Creamy Caramel.

Be back soon!

It's 9:35 - back to upload. Why is that whenever you're under a time constraint, ideas NEVER seem to flow? The flower is 3 layers of color. The Mellow Moss is on the bottom - stamped on the white piece of paper. Then there's a layer of the Creamy Caramel which was stamped on white then cut out and taped. Then a layer of Cameo Coral - which was also trimmed up and taped on top.
Stamps: SU - Fabulous Flowers, Flourishes LLC - Flourished Words. Paper: Cameo Coral, Mellow Moss, Apricot Appeal, Creamy Caramel, white. Ink: Creamy Caramel, Cameo Coral, Mellow Moss, Tim Holtz Distressed Inks - Vintage Photo & Tea Dye. Accessories: brad, ribbon, mat pack, dimensionals.

It's another gloomy day in the neighborhood. Hope everything's bright where you are!