Dreamin' 'n Ink

What can I say...

2009-10-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

...I love playing with the Memory Box Twilight papers & Tracy's sketch challenges! This is for Sketchy Thursday #57. I worked with some scraps I had from previous projects so it worked out perfect. The "haunted house" image & sentiment are from The Cat's Pajamas Fright Night clear set. I had some inspiration from my friend Armie (HI ARMIE!!) on using the little bats that punch out from the super cute EK Success Bat Lace punch (♥LOVE♥ this punch Armie ;) !!). I finished it off by adding some Memory Box Halloween jewel stickers. I hope you have a SPOOKY & safe Halloween!!

Card Details: Note Card, card stock, patterned paper, jewel stickers by Memory Box; Image & Sentiment are The Cat's Pajama's; Border Punch is EK Success Bat Lace; Copic Spica Glitter pen; Versa Fine Onyx Black ink.

My First Digi Stamp

2009-10-21T20:31:00.001-07:00

OK, so I am probably the last person out there to try digi stamps & now I think I'm hooked. They will never take the place of good ol' rubber, but these are so much fun to work with. I love how you are able to change the size of the image & they color like a dream with Copics. I was a little worried that they would not take well to Copics, boy was I pleasantly surprised.

This little cutie is "Itty Bitty Betty - Ladybug Costume" from Pink Cat Studio Digi Stamps. Be sure to go check out all of the images available & they are always adding new images. I made this card for Tracy's ESS56 Sketchy Thursday this week. Tracy always had fun sketches to offer every Thursday. You should check it out if you haven't had a chance to play along. Thanks for visiting my very neglected blog today!! :)

Card Details: Card stock, DP, Jewel Stickers by Memory Box; Digi Stamp by Pink Cat Studio Digi; Sentiment by Savvy; Versa Fine Ink; Copics & Spica Glitter Pens.

Swap Spoiler

2009-09-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

To all the ladies that participated in my first ATC swap....THANK YOU so much!! It really was a positive, fun experience. It was really fun to see all of the different ATC's & we had a good mix of the two companies. ALL of your creations were FABULOUS!! I really hope you enjoy them as much as I did when they arrive. I shipped all of the packages out to everyone today. You should be receiving them soon.

If you want a little peek of what's inside your package, I have a spoiler of my ATC below. If you want it to be a surprise, no peeking. :) If you do, I hope you like it. I used Memory Box papers & a Poppy Stamps image. The patterned paper is from a retired Memory Box 6x6 pack. I still love the older Memory Box papers so much!! The buttons are from PTI & I colored my image with Copics. Thanks again ladies, I had a lot of fun with this!!

Spread The Word

2009-09-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!!! I just wanted to give you a heads up on some fun festivities going on over at my dear friend Tracy's blog. She is celebrating a years worth of sketches for her Sketchy Thursday challenges held every week. She is offering some AWESOME loot if 52 people participate in this weeks sketch. Click here to be taken to the post with all the info. Have a nice weekend!!

ETA: Monday 9-14-09 - Here's my card. ;0)

Card Details: Note card & patterned paper by Memory Box; Image by Savvy; Sentiment by The Cat's Pajamas; Ribbon by Creative Impressions; Button by PTI; Ink Versafine & Memento; Marvy Mega Scallop Circle Punch; Spica Glitter pen on eyes of cat; Koh-i-noor & Prismacolor colored pencils.

Memory Box/Poppy Stamps ATC Swap Anyone?

2009-08-17T16:38:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! I have decided to host a Memory Box/Poppy Stamps ATC swap. It will be combined in one group & you can either use Memory Box or Poppy Stamps for your ATC, you choose which one you want to use. I have some pending spots held for some people that I think may want to sign up. If I don't hear from them, I will open those spots to whoever. I am only going to open one group since this is my first time, so if you are interested, be sure to sign up soon. Please e-mail me directly to sign up, that way I have your e-mail information to contact you. You can e-mail me through "my profile" in "About Me" (under copyright) listed on the right in my sidebar. I have listed the swap details below the sign up list. I will e-mail you with my mailing info once group has filled. Please wait to start your swaps until you hear from me. If the group does not fill, unfortunately, I may have to cancel the swap. I will keep the sign up open through Friday August 21st. I hope you will consider joining!!

SWAP IS NOW CLOSED w/ one addition :)
1. Nancy - DONE :)
2. Tami - RECEIVED :) -shipped 9-28-09
3. Tinla - RECEIVED :) -shipped 9-28-09
4. Tracy C. - RECEIVED :) -shipped 9-28-06
5. Armie - RECEIVED :) -shipped 9-28-09
6. Susan N. - RECEIVED :) -shipped 9-28-09
7. Kim B. - RECEIVED :) -shipped 9-28-09
8. Anthonette - RECEIVED :) -shipped 9-28-09
9. Ruth Ann - RECEIVED :) -shipped 9-28-09
10. Rhiannon - RECEIVED :) -shipped 9-28-09
11. Victoria N. - RECEIVED :) -shipped 9-28-09

ATC DETAILS: Create 10 (please make 11 now) identical ATC's -- you will get back 11 including 1 of your own. (if you haven't made ATC's before, check out this tutorial). Must be 2 or more layers. Please use at least 1 Memory Box or Poppy Stamps image (otherwise, no vendor restrictions). At least one embellishment preferred, but not required (i.e. ribbon, rhinestone, charm, etc.). Your swaps are due to me by Friday, September 25th. I will swap out on Monday, September 28th.

Please sign and number each of your swaps and put them in a zip-lock bag to protect them from the elements. Your bag should be marked with your name. Also include a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) with $1.76 for postage (4 first class stamps) + 1 additional stamp (it will be returned if not needed). NO metered strips please. Any questions, please e-mail me!! :)

A Bowl of Cherries

2009-08-10T13:28:00.000-07:00

Hello again!! I love all of the fresh fruit that is available during the summer months. Cherries are definitely a favorite of mine. I love having a bowl full sitting on the kitchen counter to snack on. I made this card for my friend Tracy's sketch for this week (ESS47). I have been wanting to ink up this image from Whipper Snapper & thought now would be the perfect time. The sentiment is from another one of the Gamma series stamps by Basic Grey. Enjoy your day!

Card Details: Note card & ribbon by A Muse Artstamps; Blue card stock & pearl sticker by Memory Box; Red card stock by DCWV; Kraft card stock unknown; Cherry Bowl image by Whipper Snapper; Sentiment by Basic Grey; Colored Pencils by Koh-i-noor; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink & Versa Magic Chalk ink.

Basic Grey Girl

2009-08-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

Just popping in to say hi! How is everyone? We are enjoying some unseasonably cool temperatures today after experiencing a record breaking heat wave last week. It actually rained last night too. We need the rain & cooler temperatures since we are experiencing some forest fires in the area. I recently purchased some stamps from Basic Grey. They are from their limited edition Gamma series. This girl image is so adorable, I had to ink her up right away. I'm not sure that this turned out exactly how I was envisioning it, but I decided to share it anyway. Have a great day & nice weekend!! Card Details: Colored card stock, ribbon, button and some ink by PTI; Cream colored card stock by Stampin' Up; Images & patterned paper by Basic Grey; Jewel stickers by Memory Box; Copic markers; Martha Stewart border punch.

Friendship & Flowers

2009-07-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun playing with my Poppy Stamps, I had to make another card. These images are just so cute, I couldn't resist. This one features the 'Petunia Petals' image. I paired her up with some mushroom images from a Hero Arts clear set. I used Copics for coloring. For all my sweet friends that stop by my blog, this card is for you!!

Card Details: Note card, Biscotti patterned paper & blue card stock by Memory Box; Textured red card stock by DCWV; White card stock by GP; Petunia Petals image by Poppy Stamps; Mushroom image by Hero Arts; "If friends were flowers" sentiment & ribbon by A Muse Artstamps; Fence border punch by Martha Stewart Crafts; Copic Markers; Spica Clear Glitter Pen; Memento Ink (Tuxedo Black & Bamboo Leaves); Signo white pen used on flower; dimensional stickers.

Hello Cupcake!

2009-07-17T16:07:00.000-07:00

I made a super quick card today with my new Poppy Stamps. If you haven't seen these images yet, they are SO adorable!! You can click on the blinkie link in my sidebar to take you to the Poppy Stamps site. The note card & patterned paper are from Memory Box. The "Catie Cupcake" image is by Poppy Stamps & the sentiment, that I stamped crooked :) (oops!), is by A Muse Artstamps. The border punch is by Martha Stewart Crafts. Have a sweet day!

ETA: I know the photo is hard to see since it won't enlarge, so I have included a close-up of the image for you below. I left out in my first post that the jewel sticker is by Memory Box & I used Stickles on the top of the cupcake. I used watercolor pencils to color the image.

My First Felted Cupcake

2009-05-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

Hi there!! I have discovered a new crafting addiction....FELTING!! It all started last year when I discovered Betz White's creations on-line. I went to my local library & checked out her first book, Warm Fuzzies, to see if this would be something fun to try. I was hooked! I ended up purchasing her book & started collecting wool sweaters to re-purpose. I didn't really know how I would like the "hunting & collecting" part of it, but it is fun all in itself. I already have collected a pretty big stash. I love washing up the sweaters & seeing how they "felt" after washing. They really take on a softer & fuzzy appearance. I hope you don't mind me sharing my creations with you along the way. This is my first cupcake pincushion (I think they are meant more for decorative purposes) & will be making several more. This was my trial & error one. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for stopping by today! :)

Here is a different view (you can click to see larger) of the cupcake so you can see the swirls a little better. I need to get some pretty pins to use for sprinkles. I used some tiny heart ones here, I may add some glitter to them for a little sparkle.

Supplies Used: Felted Wool Sweaters; Felted Ball for Cherry (on-line source); Leaf pins (Jo Anns); Velvet Ric Rac Ribbon (May Arts?); Heart Pins (Heidi Grace); Polka Dot paper in background (A Muse Artstamps).

ESS #36 Sketch

2009-05-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

I'm very last minute getting my sketch in this week. SORRY!! I finished my card up last night, after getting most of it put together Tuesday. Unfortunately, I wasn't very pleased with my "ott light" photo I took last night, so took another picture this morning even though it rained most of last night. At least there was some natural light to be had. :) I'm off in a hurry to get this posted to Tracy's blog. Have a beautiful, & hopefully sun-shiny day!!

Card Details: Cantaloupe note card by Memory Box; Tutu Note card by A Muse; Stamps by Elzybells NA & A Muse Artstamps; Dew Drops; Ink by Mememto & Stampin' Up; Copics & Colored Pencils.

Just Playing Around

2009-05-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

I was playing around with PhotoShop & made this cookie cutter butterfly peek of my card that is over on the Stamp Color Create - Memory Box blog today for my guest blog post. You can pop on over there if you want to see the actual card. Just click on the Memory Box blinkie (it's the one with the cute little yellow bird perched on a tree) on my sidebar & that will take you to a link for all of the Memory Box blogs. There is a lot of inspiration to be had!! :) Have a happy day!!

ESS #35 Sketch

2009-05-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

Hi friends!! This is a card for my dear friend Tracy's sketch challenge this week. I had a lot of different ideas spinning around in my head for this one, but this is what I ended up with. This is my first time inking up my Hero Arts Woodland Creatures set. I colored the raccoon with colored pencils, added a twinkle sticker to the flower & popped the cutie up with dimensionals. This is going to be a short post tonight...... I'm off to set the coffee pot so I can have my java ready for me before work in the AM. Have a happy day! :) Card Details: White card stock by GP; Cotton Candy (pink) card stock by Memory Box; Black card stock unknown; Apron Lace punch by Fiskars; Ribbon by Creative Impressions; Ink by Memento; Stamps by Hero Arts (raccoon & sentiment); Open Daisy & twinkle sticker by A Muse (retired I think?); Wood background by All Night Media; dimensionals.

Memory Box Card Peek

2009-05-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo!! Have any fun plans today to celebrate? I will be working, but I'm hoping DH will take me out for dinner. I'm just popping in today to share a little peek from my guest blog post over on the "Stamp, Color, Create" (Dave's Blog) Memory Box blog. I hope you will take a visit to my post over there. You can click on the Memory Box blinkie on the side bar to the right & it will take you to the Memory Box website where you can find a link to all of the Memory Box blogs. Have a great day!!

Happy Etsy Day!!

2009-04-24T11:05:00.001-07:00

Etsy is one of my FAVORITE places to buy hand crafted items. If you haven't checked it out yet, today is a great day to visit. Have a great weekend!!

ESS #29 Sketch

2009-03-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday to you!! What are you up to today? I'm cleaning house for out of state guests arriving tomorrow. Thought I would sneak in a card for Tracy's Sketchy Thursday Challenge this week. I have good intentions of playing every week, but I seem to miss the deadline A LOT!! I was happy to be able to get a card in for this weeks sketch. I have been wanting to play with my new A Muse "Carrot Car" stamp so this gave me a chance to ink it up. I don't have the "tall grass" stamp from A Muse so I used my Savvy "grass" stamp instead. I made the sentiment using two different sentiment stamps. The "Happy" is from a "Happy Spring" stamp by Impress, and the "Spring!" is by A Muse, I think it is retired, but I'm not for sure about that. I covered the sentiment with a A Muse Creative Candy sticker & trimmed around the edge. I was going to leave it without ribbon, but decided to add some to add a little more yellow to the card besides the yellow that was is the bunny's scarf. I added some bling with my spica glitter pens, but I have a heck of a time trying to catch that sparkle in photographs. I did the best I could to show you a little bit of sparkle in the close up photo. Have a great week!!

First Day of Spring

2009-03-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

Happy first day of Spring!! The weather is gorgeous here today!! I hope it is for you too. I just love it when all of the cherry blossoms start to bloom. I thought I would share this photo of the beautiful blooms I have to view on one of the trees outside.

Wishing everybody a fun day & a fantastic weekend!!

My First Cupcake Challenge (#59)

2009-03-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hello....Happy St. Patty's Day!! Everyone have their green on? I'm looking forward to corned beef & cabbage tonight. I popped it in the crock pot before work. I've been making it every St. Patrick's Day for the last several years. My family & I really enjoy it. Is anybody else making some as well, or is it not high on your list of favorites?

This is my first time participating in a Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge! I didn't have a lot of time to put this together last night, so I kept it pretty simple. I have been wanting to ink up this super sweet Memory Box "Flower Bucket" stamp. I think it has been around for a while, but it is fairly new to me. I also have a ton of retired Memory Box 6x6 paper packs that I adore & I was able to coordinate the colors well by using them. I have another "guest blog" installment over on the Memory Box blog today if you would like to take a look. They also have some fun contests going on over there so you will want to check it out! Have a fabulous day!!

Materials: Note Card, Patterned Paper & Colored Card Stock are by Memory Box (cut down from 6x6 pack) (except for the ivory card stock that the flower bucket image is stamped on and that is Stampin' Up.) Ribbon is Martha Stewart. Image is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink & colored with Copics & Clear Spica Pen on flowers.

Fun News....

2009-03-13T10:25:00.001-07:00

I have some fun news to share. I will be doing a "guest blog" spot over at the Memory Box blog on Tuesdays in the coming weeks. THANK YOU for this opportunity Dave!! I hope you will stop by for a peek. If you click on the photo, you can get a better look at the card I created. I'm trying to get used to how Typepad posts photos, so hopefully by next Tuesday I will have a better handle on the picture thing & it won't be cut off on the side & so supersized. (ETA- I changed out the photo from the original so hopefully you get a better view). Take care & I hope you are having beautiful sunny weather (it is here, yay!!) wherever you're at today!!

I also have a card posted below. :)

Love Is In The Air

2009-03-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

WOW....long time no post!! Sorry I have been so out of touch......lots of things going on!! I've been totally out of touch with the cyber world. This is a card I made around Valentines Day & never shared. It was completely inspired by Rhonda & one of her layouts she used. I just love this little "Aviator Penguin" by Memory Box. I think he is so stinkin' adorable! A big thank you for any of you that may still be peeking in on my blog. I miss all my girlie stamping buddies out there!! Card Info: Note Cards, Ribbon, Airplane image & Sentiment, Heart Twinkle Sticker by A Muse Artstamps; Aviator Penguin by Memory Box ; Martha Stewart Border Punch; Copics & Spica Glitter Pen; Memento Ink.

Festive Owls

2008-11-13T16:12:00.000-08:00

I have been having fun playing with my new "Owl Christmas" set from Hero Arts. There are so many fun owl images in this set. I'm sure I will be sharing some more cards using that set. I had a REALLY hard time getting a decent photo. I was able a couple outside today in a little bit of sunlight (sorry for the shadows), but some of the up close pictures were taken indoors so they are not as bright. This was my first version (in red). I colored the owl with my Koh-i-noor pencils & his sweater is colored with "chalk" pencils which I need A LOT more practice with. I think the "chalk" pencils probably work better if you have a more solid space to color in. I also used my Spica glitter pens & A Muse twinkle stickers to add some sparkle. I tried to get a close up of the sparkle below (it REALLY sparkle IRL), but it still doesn't show up very well, but you get the idea. Thanks for visiting today & I hope you have a FABULOUS weekend!!

I covered the snowflake in the Impress Sparkle Glitter & placed an A Muse Twinkle Sticker in the center. If you are looking for a similar glitter, I think the Martha Stewart "Snow" glitter at Michael's is similar.

I thought the red version turned out pretty cute, so I made a blue version below. I did not use Twinkle stickers on this version & I used a combination of Copics & Koh-I-Noor pencils to color this one. I also used my Spica glitter pens as well.

Another close-up of the sparkle below, but again, it still doesn't show very well in the photo.

Cute Little Clips

2008-11-10T20:58:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to make some of these binder clips ever since I saw them on Rhonda's blog. Thanks for the idea Rhonda!! Aren't they sweet? I think they would be cute for holding a picture or a recipe card. I used the one on the left as a post-it holder that I gave to a friend, but the "Post-It" pad that I used was a little to big for the chipboard coaster I used. I think it would work great if you used a standard size Post-It pad as long as it's not too thick. The only drawback to these clips is they don't seem like they will hold a lot of weight. Wishing you a happy day!
Info: Binder Clips from Staples; Ribbon by May Arts; Kitchen Notes & Sentiments by A Muse Artstamps; Sticky Note Pad from Michael's $1 spot.

A Little Late Posting This....

2008-11-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

As you may have figured, I'm taking a little break from blogging. I'm just not very good at keeping up with it. I have a couple of photos to share so I thought I would pop in and say HI!!! Anyone that is reading this, I'm glad you're still with me. :) First photo is for Tracy's sketch from last week. I actually had this card done on Monday, I'm just now getting it posted. I love the new Cupcake Builder set from A Muse!!The glitter that I used on this card is so cool. While I picked it up last week at Impress in Tukwila, Washington while I was on a last minute vacation visiting family. You must get some of this glitter!! Now for my exciting news :) ......take a look at where else I have been in the photo below.....
A VERY HAPPY DAY!!

Opening Day at A Muse Shop - Seattle, WA

Linda is such a sweetheart & it was an absolute joy to be able to meet her!! They new shop is beautiful! They really did a gorgeous job at restoring the building they are in.

A card & a little fur.......

2008-09-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

.......yes, that's a cat in the background. She was very curious about my picture taking.I was having a heck of a time getting a good shot of this card, so I finally gave up & this is what I ended up with. Wow....where does the time go? I feel like the last couple of weeks has just been a blur. Anybody else feeling that way? I've been wanting to try and participate in Tracy's sketch challenges every week since that is about all that I can seem to keep up with on my blog, LOL, and somehow last week I missed it, so I wanted to make sure to participate this week. I just love these little chicks from Memory Box. I think they are long retired, but I still think they are adorable. I colored the image with my Koh-i-noor pencils & added a pale shadow around the image (also with my pencils although not visible in the photo). I paper pieced the witch hat, glittered it up in some black glitter & popped it out with some dimensionals, but it is also very hard to see in this photo. I am not happy with the placement of the sentiment, but I wasn't about to rip the whole thing apart. I think I will take the advice of using the stamp positioner to move the sentiment around next time to decide where I like it. Thanks for stopping by today. I hope everyone is having a fabulous September so far!!

Card Info: Note Card & Image by Memory Box; Sentiment by Savvy; DP by MME; Cardstock by DCWV & Stampin' Up; Marvy Punches; Provo Scallop Scissors; Ink is Memento; Koh-i-noor pencils; Art Institute Glitter; Ribbon from Michael's.

More Kitty Christmas & Sketches

2008-08-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

I wanted to play with my TCP Kitty Christmas set a little more before I put it away, and came up with this card. I am really on a holiday card kick lately. I originally thought this would be great for Tracy's sketch challenge for this week, but when I looked back at the sketch (I was just trying to go by memory), I thought this was probably a little too off of the sketch. I thought I would share it anyway. Isn't Sprinkle just the cutest? She sparkles IRL too, but it is hard to see it in the photo. I wanted to make another card for Tracy's sketch challenge, so I decided to make a different card as well. I remembered this color combo from one of the challenges from AP & I wanted to try it out, so I decided to incorporate those colors in to a "non-traditional" colored holiday card. I added some sparkle with my stickles to the carolers hats, but again, it's hard to see in the photo. Thanks for stopping by tonight & happy Thursday to you!! Any fun plans this holiday weekend?? If I don't have another post before Labor Day, I wish you all a safe & happy one!!

My First TCP Tuesday

2008-08-22T17:39:00.000-07:00

This is my first time participating in TCP Tuesday Challenge, and I'm so happy I did. Toni is the hipster hostess this week & she challenged us to use the colors blue & orange in our creations. I think it is so fun to make holiday cards in non-traditional colors, so I chose to use my "Kitty Christmas" set to create this pocket card. I added the sentiment in the bottom corner as an afterthought, but I'm not sure if I like it there or not. I added blue eyelets where I tied the ribbon, but they are hard to see in the photo. I also used a orange eyelet to help pull the card out of the center & I thought it would be fun to place it where the "o" was in word "house" in the sentiment. I think I would use a thinner ribbon next time because I would like to be able to see the eyelets a little better. I colored the image with my Koh-I-Noor pencils. I hope everyone has a nice weekend!! Thanks for stopping by today! :)Card Info: All Stamp by The Cat's Pajamas; Notecard & Ribbon by A Muse Artstamps; Vanilla Cardstock by Stampin' Up; Ink by VersaFine; Martha Stewart Border & Marvy Scallop Oval Punches; Eyelets by Making Memories; Koh-I-Noor Colored Pencils.

Anyone Interested?

2008-08-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

If anyone is interested in joining an A Muse ATC swap using the holiday images released during A-muse-a-palooza, check out this post here. I am on the waiting list for the 2nd group & I would love to see it get filled. Maybe you are in the first group & would like to join the 2nd group as well. ;)

Another Fun Sketch

2008-08-19T20:38:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!! This is another card I made for a sketch challenge over on my pal Tracy's blog. I'm glad she is keeps pushing me to get some stamping done with her fun sketches. It gives me something to post on my blog too! I have been really in the mood for making holiday cards, so I decided to give one of the new A Muse holiday images "Hippy Snow Chick" a little inky love. I really had trouble getting the right light to take a good photo with. We went from having over 100 degree weather this past weekend, to rain & fall like weather at the start of this week. I have to say I am ready for Fall. Spring & Fall are my favorite seasons.........love 'em!! Card Info: Images, Note Card, PLP, Twinkle Stickers & Ribbon by A Muse Artstamps; White CS by GP; Pink CS by DCWV; Ink by Palette in Noir & Versa Magic Chalk; Copic Markers Cool Shadow & Pink; Glitter Glue from JoAnns; Fine Black Pen.

HOORAY Victoria!!

2008-08-18T14:26:00.001-07:00

This is a card a made for Victoria's celebration challenge on her blog. I *met* Victoria through the A Muse message board group & she is a super sweet gal!! She recently finished her chemotherapy & is halfway through her cancer treatments. She challenged us A Muse "groupies" to make a celebration card to help her celebrate her final chemo treatment. Please stop by her blog & read her story. She is a strong, beautiful, and amazing woman!!
Card Info: Note Card, Ribbon, Nest, Bird & Sentiment by A Muse Artstamps; Branch image by Impress; Ink by Stampin' Up & Pallette; Solid White CS by GP; Textured Green Cardstock by DCWV; Koh-I-Noor Pencils.

Tracy's Sketch Challenge

2008-08-09T17:24:00.001-07:00

One of my super sweet gal pals Tracy (HI TRACY!!) is having her very first sketch challenge over on her blog. Of course I had to play along, it's Tracy of all people!! :) I think I may have flipped the sketch around a little, but hopefully she doesn't mind if I fiddled a bit. I have kind of been in a stamping slump lately....that seems to happen a lot.....so this gave me a little push to sit down & make a card. I hope everyone is having a relaxing weekend........THANKS for stopping by!! Card Info: Cardstock unknown; DP by American Crafts; Ink is Pallette Noir; Ribbon, flower image stamp & sentiment stamp by A Muse Artstamps; Copic Markers.

I feel so special!!

2008-08-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

I was nominated by two FABULOUS blogging ladies, Victoria & Kimberly for the "Brillante Weblog" award. Thank you so much ladies!! You are too sweet!

Here are the details of the award:

1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.

2. Link the person you received your award from.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Put links of those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you’ve nominated.

I know a lot of you "Brillante" bloggers out there have already been nominated, so I would like to nominate:

1. Tami

2. JenMarie

3. Amy

4. Ashley

5. Jenna

6. Aileen

7. Rose

A Muse S.O.W Challenge #25

2008-07-27T14:20:00.000-07:00

This is for the Stamp of the Week Challenge (#25) over at the A Muse Group Message Board. I really hate to admit this, but this is my very first time inking of my A Muse Coffee Break set, YIKES!! I adore ALL of the images in this set, especially since I adore coffee as well! I'm really glad Jennie added the set to one of the images that could be used this week since I don't have any of the others. :( THANKS Jennie!! I'm glad I was able to participate this week! Card Info: Images by A Muse Artstamps; Cardstock by A Muse Artstamps & Stampin' Up (Vanilla & Chocolate Chip); Border Punch by Martha Stewart (thanks Victoria!); Ink by Stampin' Up & Adirondack; Ribbon by A Muse Artstamps; Copic Markers; Marvy Scallop Punches & Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Embossing Folder.

My First Attempt At Inchies

2008-07-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at playing around with "inchies". I need to practice a bit more, I kind of feel like I butchered this card, but I still had fun at my first attempt. I think I would use a 1" square punch to cut my squares out next time instead of using my paper trimmer. The Hero Arts Club Blog (love this blog) had a week feature on inchies a several weeks ago, & so I wanted to try a card using inchies. If you haven't visited the Hero Arts blog, you must check it out. They have so many tutorials, videos, & ideas. The set I used for this card is called "Cheery Bird" from Hero Arts. It is only available at Archivers stores, which I have none in my state, but I was lucky enough to be able to purchase the set online. I colored the birds with my Koh-I-Noor pencils & added a touch of glitter with Stickles & Spica Glitter Pens. I posted a close up so you could see the sparkle a little better. I'm sorry to be such a terrible blogger. I wish I was better at posting. I appreciate anyone who still stops by to take a look around. I hope everyone is having a fun summer. Have a great day!!

Before my morning coffee.....

2008-07-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

....this is how I feel, LOL! Mornings don't really bother me, but I REALLY do need my coffee to get me going. The new penguins from Memory Box are so cute & I just couldn't resist this "Curler Penguin" & "I don't do mornings" sentiment. Isn't she cute? It is hard to tell in the photo, but I covered her robe in stickles & used hot pink flock for the trim, tie & slippers. I used a clear spica pen on her curlers, so they sparkle too. The note card is from Memory Box, DP is by Basic Gray & I finished it off with ribbon & dew drops.

Happy 4th of July....

2008-07-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

.......and HAPPY SUMMER!! This is actually my bumper card for the month of June over at the A Muse group. I'm finally getting around to posting it. As you can see, I used a lot of the same color scheme as my May Bumper card. What can I say, I think it's a really fun color combo & is very cheery! I just ordered another pack of the Memory Box "Beach Collection" 6x6 paper. Tinla (Hi Tinla) informed me that it is going to be retired so I thought I better grab another pack. If you are looking for a great deal on this paper, I got mine here on a smokin' sale, so get it while you can!! I hope you all have a safe & happy 4th :)

Starbucks, Meet A Muse

2008-06-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!! I have a fun day planned of lunch and shopping with one of my gal pals, I just wish she stamped :). It is supposed to be VERY HOT here this weekend, mid to high 90's. That is a little too hot for my taste. I'm sharing a card today I made for one of the VERY special ladies over at the A Muse group. I had a lot of fun making this card for Jennie for her birthday. She is a big fan of coffee, as am I, & I've been spinning the idea around in my head of making a card resembling a "to go" coffee cup, & this is what I came up with. Hopefully is some what resembles that to you as well. Before I was finished with the card, I asked DH if he could tell what it was and he said "popcorn?". I was thinking, "great", "my coffee cup looks like a tub of popcorn???". Anyhow, I went with it anyway, and hopefully Jennie knew what it was when she opened her card :) I thought I could use the A Muse "Mermaid" image as an A Muse version of the "Starbucks" logo. I wanted to get all of her hair (mermaid) & after I punched her out, I noticed she then has one elongated arm, but just decided to go with it anyway. The brown sleeve is an actual sleeve I specifically grabbed to use for this card. The note card, images, sentiments, and twinkle stickers are all by A Muse Artstamps. I colored the mermaid with my Copics & Spica Glitter pens, but the sparkle doesn't show in the photo. I hope you have a pleasant Friday & a great weekend!! Thanks for stopping by ;)

Quick & Easy Baby Card

2008-06-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Happy Thursday to you!! The weather is absolutely BEAUTIFUL here today. I hope it is where you are at too :) This is a super quick card that I whipped up for a friend at who is having a baby girl soon. This accompanied her baby gift. I must say, it's so fun shopping for cute little girly things. I had fun making this since I don't get to pull out my "baby" themed stamps very often. I used several different stamp companies on this card. I will leave the details for you below. I used my clear spica glitter pen over all of the images, but again it doesn't show up in the photo. It is very sparkly IRL. Sorry the lighting is not the best. I'm off to enjoy the sunshine! Wishing you a happy day :) Card info: GP White Cardstock; Misc. Solid Cardstock; DP by Memory Box; Images by Impress, Rubber Soul & A Muse Artstamps; Ink by Stampin' Up; Clear Spica Glitter Pen; Ticket Corner Punch by Stampin' Up; Marvy Scallop Square Punch; Micro Dot Twinkle Stickers by A Muse Artstamps.

Drumroll Please.........

2008-06-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all of your sweet comments on my blog candy post! I have really enjoyed this first year of blogging and have met many amazing women & have created some great friendships! All of you is what makes blogging fun for me. I used Random.org to pick 3 random winners, and here they are:

Tinla

Susan N. (aka. Curtis) (Susan N.'s blogger profile showed up as her husbands name, I deleted her post where she clarified this)

Anita

CONGRATS ladies!! Please e-mail me your snail mail and I will get these in the mail to you ASAP!! You can find my e-mail in "my profile" on my sidebar!! Have a great evening :)

ETA: Tinla was gracious enough to let me know that she already has all 3 of these stamps, so Tinla will still be getting the Sugar paper pack, but she wanted me to send her stamp to somebody else (Isn't she SWEET!!) so I used random.org to pick another winner for the stamp only and that person is:

ESTIVALIA

Congrats Estivalia!! Please send me your snail mail address, and I will get your stamp in the mail to you ASAP :)

Yeah....Blog Candy Baby!!

2008-06-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!! Sorry I haven't been posting much lately, we have had A LOT of "stuff" going on around here and I haven't been doing ANY stamping. Needless to say, I haven't been spending that much time of the computer either. So with nothing to share, how about some blog candy instead? In honor of my 1 year of blogging, I thought it would be fun to have a little celebration and give away some blog candy!! I appreciate each and every one of you that stop by & leave comments. You always brighten my day! So now it's my turn to give back to you!! All you have to do is leave me a comment on this post. In your comment, please let me know which of these stamps you would like most, that's all you have to do. I have 3 to give away, so if your name is drawn, I would like to send you the stamp of your choice (all stamps are by Memory Box) or a stamp that you don't already have. If you don't have a preference, let me know that too. With each stamp, you will also get a pack of Memory Box Sugar 6x6 cardstock which is such a fun paper pack!! You have until 7 PM (PST) Wednesday (June 18th) to leave your comment at which time I will pick three random winners. I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend so far!!

BIRD FAMILY

OUTLINE TREE

LOVE KITTEN

May Bumper Card

2008-05-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

YAY.....it's Friday....woo hoo! Not a whole lot going on for me this weekend. I have lots of house cleaning to do, YUCK!! We have a big graduation BBQ coming up next weekend, so I want to get things sparkling ;). This is my bumper card for May over at the A Muse group. I really had a lot of fun making this card for my recipient for the month, who I happen to of had last month too. :) Hopefully she doesn't mind receiving cards from little ol' me two months in a row. Sorry for the poor photo, the weather has been a little gloomy around here, so I wasn't able to snap a photo outside with some decent light. I used an A Muse notecard. I'm not sure what the color is but I think it may be Jasmine. The DP is from Memory Box. I used Spica Glitter pens on the flip flops to add some sparkle. I think the "Flip Flops" was one of my first, if not the first, A Muse stamp in my collection. Who knew it would grow into the obsession that it has today, LOL!! Happy Friday to you!!

Happy Birthday Brother

2008-05-28T21:15:00.000-07:00

This is a card I made for my brother's birthday. He's turning the BIG 40 this year. I'm quite sure he doesn't read my blog so I think it's safe to post it here since I know it has not arrived to him yet in the mail. I have a REALLY hard time with "masculine" cards but I think this one turned out somewhat masculine. The A Muse "Birthday Builder" set makes it really easy to make quick & painless birthday cards & it is perfect for milestone birthdays or any birthday for that matter. If you don't own this set, I would highly recommend adding it to your collection.
Card Info: Misc. Cardstock; DP by Basic Grey; Stamps by A Muse Artstamps; Ink & Ticket Corner Punch by Stampin' Up; Marvy Giga & Mega Scallop Square Punch; Clear Spica Glitter Pen; Brad by Lasting Impressions

ATC Peek #2

2008-05-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday to you! Are you doing anything fun this weekend? The weather is a little gloomy around here, so I'm not sure what we will be doing. I thought I would share my ATC for the Memory Box group for Kristina's swaps. I kept it really simple. I colored the image with my Twinkling H2O's. The striped dp is by Memory Box. I added a little twinkle to the top of the cupcake with my Stickles, but it is hard to see in the photo. I hope everyone has a safe, fun, & relaxing weekend!!

ATC info: Image, sentiment & DP by Memory Box; Ink by Pallette in Noir; Twinkling H2O's; Stickles; Card Stock by GP & Misc.

ATC Peek

2008-05-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

I hope you are having a nice weekend so far. The weather is HOT, HOT, HOT here. A little too hot for my taste. It was over 100 degrees yesterday. It is supposed to be slightly cooler today, but still very HOT! I thought I would share a peek of my ATC's for Kristina's ATC swaps. Tracy (HEY GIRL!) shared a SUPER cute peek on her blog yesterday, so I figured I might share a peek too! So if you want to be surprised, do not scroll down. :) This is for the A Muse group. Kristina let us choose between an A Muse, Elzybells, or Missy Ballance image & I went with this cute little shopper Elzybells image. The sentiment is by Stamping Bella. Enjoy your weekend!!

ETA: I had a question in the comments section if Copics were used & if so what colors. Yes, Copics were used. Here is a list of colors: I used E21 Baby Skin Pink(skin tone); Y38 Honey(shopping bag), YG95 Pale Olive(shopping bag); B95 Light Grayish Colbalt(dress); E27 Africano(purse, belt & shoes); E37 Sepia & YR24 Pale Sepia(hair). HTH :)

Here's a close up pic.

Another Friendship Card

2008-05-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest things I have experienced through blogging is connecting with a so many kind & talented women. I have made some very special friendships through blogging. This is a card I made for one of those VERY special gals ;) . Hugs to ALL of my blogging pals!! Card Info: Note card by Memory Box; Pink Scallop Note by A Muse Artstamps; GP & Misc. Card stock; DP by MME; Image by Elzybells NA; Sentiment & Heart Twinkle Sticker by A Muse Artstamps; Ink VersaFine Onyx Black; Copic & Spicas; Ribbon by May Arts.

Happy Mother's Day!!

2008-05-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

Hey friends! Happy Mother's Day to you! I'm just getting in a quick post today of the two mother's day cards I made recently. We just returned from camping this weekend, so I'm a little pooped...... lots of catching up to do. It seems like I was rushing at the last minute to get these made and in the mail (nothing like waiting until the last minute), so I didn't really get to whip them out SUPER FAST!! Looking back at them now, I think I would have made some changes, but oh well :). One is for my step-mom, and the other is for my mom. Have a happy day!Card Info: Notecard, Ribbon, "Duck Family" & "Oval" stamp by A Muse Artstamps; Sentiment by Savvy; Ink by Palette & VersaMagic; Copics; Misc. cardstock.

Card Info: Notecard, image, & polka dot letters by A Muse Artstamps; Ink by Palette & Brilliance; Copics & Spicas; Misc Cardstock.

April Bumper Card

2008-04-24T20:47:00.000-07:00

I think it's safe to post my April Bumper card since I mailed it early last week. I hope the recipient has received it by now. This is a Jennie inspired card. I have a hang up making cards with the A Muse Gerber Daisy stamp, I don't know what it is. Jennie is "queen" of A Muse "Gerber Daisy" cards so she was very inspirational in the making of this card. Thanks Jennie! I LOVE Gerber Daisies IRL, I just think they are HAPPY flowers and you really start seeing them show up in nurseries this time of year, around where I live at least. I thought this would make a sweet spring card. I have always really enjoyed the blue & red color combo & it was fun getting to play with my new A Muse grosgrain stitched ribbon (THANKS Tracy!!). The blue of this ribbon matches perfectly with the blue tin plate notes from A Muse. It's funny since I usually have trouble getting my glitter to show up in photos, this has almost too much of a glare on it so it's almost showing too much sparkle in the photo. I've included a close up of the "daisy" which doesn't seem to show quite as much of a glare. Still trying to master the "getting a good photo" thing. Wishing all of you a happy spring day as well & a happy weekend. Card Info: Blue Tin Plate, Red Kitchen Notes (cut down), image, sentiment & ribbon by A Muse Artstamps; White Card Stock by GP; Stickles; Spica Glitter Pen; Copic Markers; Ink by Palette & Versa Fine; Provo Craft Scallop Scissors. TFL :)

ATC swap?

2008-04-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

If anyone is interested in joining a Cat's Pajama's or Memory Box ATC swap, check out this post here. There is also a Stampin' Up group that has a spot left. If you are not familiar with ATC's, you can check out a tutorial here. Have a great day! ETA: There are still 5 spots left to fill in The Cat's Pajama's Group & I think 2 in the Memory Box group.

Did You See This?

2008-04-16T16:46:00.001-07:00

Psst.....Did you see this? I can't wait!! Last year was such a blast!

Friendship

2008-04-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

I had the idea for this card in my head, I just needed to put it together. It's very simple, yet I'm very pleased with how it turned out. It also happens to be one of my favorite color combinations. I think I may make a set of these in different colors. I can think of so many fun variations, I'm going to have fun playing around with differnet combinations. I think it is just a cheery card to send to those who have a special place in my heart!
Card Info: Notecard by Memory Box (Vanilla Bean); A Muse Artstamps Polka Dot Kitchen Note (Blueberry) cut down; GP White Cardstock; Polka Dot Alphabet Letters A Muse Artstamps; Ink Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip; Brads by Making Memories; Provo Craft Mini Scallop Scissors; Ribbon unknown.

What A Weekend!

2008-04-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

The weather was absolutely GORGEOUS this weekend! Unfortunately, when we were on our way to Redding, CA for the weekend, and lets just say things didn't turn out as planned. About 4 hours away from home, this is how things ended up (see below). What a mess!! I won't bore you with all the details, but the good news is, we are home safely now.

On a happier note, I was able to snap some images of this sweet little bird drinking & taking a bath in our fountain Sunday.

Stamp Storage

2008-04-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for a way to store a portion of my stamps & below I've shared some photos of what I've found. I was looking for something that was very high quality. I found a really great company called ScrapNcube on one of our weekend getaways. You need to go check out their web page & see some of the crafting stations they have created with their products. They have some wonderful items that all intermix with each other. I like these cubes, because I can easily add more to this one and their quality is fantastic. I really like that they are a "local" company and their products are made locally in their warehouse. You are able to stain or paint the wood, but I guess most of their customers leave them as is & the look of the wood as is, is very attractive. Right now I have it sitting on the floor next to my workspace, but I may likely move it once my stamping room becomes more functional. Below is a picture of the cube with the drawers closed. This next picture is a peek of five of the six drawers opened. I was surprised at how many stamps I could fit into these drawers. I need to take a picture of a full drawer so you get the idea of how many stamps can fit into them. I will try to add one after I finish since several of the drawers I don't have completely full yet, and the sixth drawer is still empty. I still have a bunch of stamps to add, and I probably won't store my holiday (ie: Christmas, Valentines, Easter, etc.) in here because I only use them a short time of the year. The majority of my stamps are A Muse & other companies that are similar in size. At this point, I pretty much have just been putting the stamps in the drawers & haven't really organized them in any particular way. I did try and group companies together somewhat. I have a bunch of stamps I need to weed out of my collection to because they are not being used and are taking up space. The weather is supposed to be beautiful here this weekend. I hope it is wherever you are at too! Have a fun weekend!

Many Thanks To You!

2008-04-07T20:49:00.001-07:00

Thank you to everyone who left me comments on my last post. I appreciate it so much! For some reason some of us, including myself were seeing blue around my blog signature & some of you were not seeing the blue. I think it is fixed now, and hopefully those of you that were seeing the blue, do not see it now. Thank you Beth for creating this cute signature for me. I have the link to her site (Freckled Fun Designs) on the right side of my blog. I have a REALLY busy week this week, but I hope to maybe be able to squeeze in something creative to share!

Do You See Blue or White? Please Help Me Out!!

2008-04-07T07:31:00.001-07:00

Beth over at Freckled Fun Designs created this custom blog signature (see below) for me. Isn't it cute? I am seeing a blue background around the signature when I post to my blog? It should be white. Beth says she is not seeing the blue & is seeing it as white. Maybe it's just something on my end. I'm not sure why I'm seeing blue. Please help me out and let me know what you see so I know if it's just something goofy with my computer. Do you see a blue box around the signature or not? THANKS for you help :) Have a happy Monday!!

Ever Have One Of Those Cards?

2008-03-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have one of those cards that just gives you fits?!? Well that's what this one did for me. After 3 tries at coloring the image somewhat how I wanted, I screwed up the sentiment and had to start all over again. I tried just trimming it off first, but then it didn't look right so I gave up and here is what I finally came up with. The sentiment is not inked perfectly on this one, but it's going to have to do. It is hard to see in the photo, but I colored the sky with my shimmer chalks in a light blue. Image & sentiment are from Stamping Bella. I colored the main image with watercolor pencils. I did the "grass" with my Pebbles shimmer chalks as well. Wisteria note card is from Memory Box. Blueberry Polka Dot DP is an A Muse 4-bar note card cut down.

Last One For Easter

2008-03-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

I'm glad I was able to get my second post in today. I really wasn't sure if it would happen. I finished the last of my whopping 2 Easter cards I made this year early this evening. Neither of which got used. I'm not sure about this one. I don't know if it needs something more or not. I left it without a sentiment, because I wasn't sure what I wanted to use. I figured I could always add one later if I decide to. This is an image is by Whipper Snapper, "Hen's Easter Egg" illustrated by Anna Wight aka Sweet Miss Daisy. I colored the image with watercolor pencils. I hope everyone had a beautiful day!
Card Info: Notecard by Memory Box (Cantaloupe); Cardstock by Georgia Pacific & DCWV; DP by My Minds Eye; Watercolor Pencils; Ribbon from Michael's.

HAPPY EASTER

2008-03-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

I'm sad to say this, but this is the only Easter card I made this year & it didn't even get mailed out to anyone. So I'm posting it here to wish ALL of you a HAPPY EASTER! I hope that everyone has a very special day! I'm working on a non A Muse (did I just say that outloud, LOL) Easter card as well which I hoping to get later today, but no promises. I always have good intentions of getting things posted to my blog, but it doesn't always work out that way. Happy Easter to all my friends!!
Card Info: Note card by A Muse Artstamps(blue tin plate) & Memory Box (Wisteria); Cardstock by Georgia Pacific & DCWV; Ink Palette Noir; Copic Markers; Clear Spica Glitter Pen (which you can't see in the photo); ribbon from Michaels?

Playing With PaperTrey

2008-03-18T16:38:00.000-07:00

I recently ordered the "Out on a Limb" set from PaperTreyInk. They were out of stock for a while & when I was notified that it was back in stock, I hurried to get my order in. I just love the simplicity, yet elegance of this set. This is my first try at inking it up. I don't know about you, but I never seem to have enough Thank You cards around and it seems like I rarely have one already made when I need one so I'm sure this one will be used in a hurry. The weather had been dreary here today, so I had a hard time getting a good photo. I hope everyone is having a happy day!! Card Info: Note Card by Memory Box, DP by Bo Bunny, Cardstock by DCWV & Georgia Pacific, Images, Sentiment & Ribbon by PaperTreyInk, Ink by Stampin' Up.

February Bumper Card

2008-03-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

This is a card I made for my bumper card recipient for the month of February. I hope she received it OK. Her dress is colored with Twinkling H2O's so it really shimmers IRL. I know that Twinkling H2O's are kind of old news, but I haven't really used mine very much at all, so I think they are fun to work with. I also got to play with the new "Swiss Dots" Cuttlebug Embossing Folder. I've seen so many cute things that other ladies have done with this folder, I can't wait to play with it some more. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week. I will be away from my computer for a few days. I'll catch up with everyone when we get back.

Card Info: Notecard & Sentiment by A Muse Artstamps; Misc. colored cardstock & ribbon; Image by Elzybells NA; Copic Markers; Twinkling H2o's; White Gel Pen; Palette Ink in Noir.

Same Layout

2008-03-11T17:55:00.000-07:00

3-12-08 ETA: Thank you to Sharon in NE (HI SHARON!!), she informed me that you were not able to see the photo. I'm not sure what was wrong, but hopefully you can see it now. You'll have to let me know.

Thank you all for your kind words on my post yesterday. You really warmed my heart! Here is another card I made for a friend. Same layout (hopefully I'm not boring you) as the previous card & same sentiment. I just used different cardstock & stamped image. I just love this Elzybells image. I think she is so cute! A little softer look than the one I showed you yesterday. Thank you to Kimberly G. who inspired me with this card. I colored the swing with my gold Spica glitter pen, but yet again, you are not able to tell in the photo. I also colored the flowers with Spicas as well.

Card info: White cardstock is by Georgia Pacific, DP is by Memory Box & Making Memories, Image by Elzybells NA, Sentiment by A Muse Artstamps, Palette, Adirondack & Stampin' Up Ink, Copic Markers & Spica Glitter pens, Ribbon Unknown.

Are you still with me??

2008-03-10T15:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been a terrible blogger lately. I've been in a funk lately. So I saw Jennie posted the "Stamp of the Week" challenge over at the A Muse group, so I thought I would attempt a card. I'm thinking it's a little too busy. What do you think? It's OK, you can tell me. Kind of busy, huh? I wish I would have stamped the "Owl Buddies" on vanilla cardstock now, but oh well, didn't really feel like tearing the whole think apart. You can't tell from the picture, but the "Owl Buddies" image was colored with my Spica Glitter pens so the really sparkle IRL. I still haven't figured out how to get that sparkle to show in photos. The layout is one that Anna (Sweet Miss Daisy) had posted on her blog a while back. This is a really fun layout! I've missed all of you sweeties that stop by my blog, I appreciate you all SO much!!

Fun Weekend Plans

2008-02-22T20:37:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy weekend. I'm off to the coast in the morning & will be back Monday evening. I hope to share some photos when I return. I will try to catch up on my blog surfing then too!! I did peek in on the VMAA tonight & it looks like you girls had LOTS of fun. I saw some REALLY great creations. I hope I will be able to join in the fun next time around. See you when I get back!! Have a great weekend!!

Some More Tagging

2008-02-19T19:01:00.000-08:00

Today was a nice day. I got to do a little shopping, which involves driving 70 miles to a city that actually has some REAL stores, like TARGET, YAY! It is actually the town that I grew up in so I love to go there. I have a lot of fond memories there. Sometimes I go with DH, sometimes I'll go with a friend, but a lot of times I just go by myself, then I can take as much time as I need looking at stuff. It never seems like I have enough time to do everything I want, it doesn't help that I got a late start, but it was still a nice day. When I got home, I had a HAPPY e-mail from Jennie & she also tagged me for this game:

Stamping Style - SIMPLE :)

Inspiration - I have to say I get most of my inspritation on line

Color - I love any brown combo- pink/brown, blue/brown, red/brown, you get the picture.

Work space - I just recently have a "REAL" workspace, it's cluttered right now, it was clean until I actually starting stamping on it. Let's just say it looks like a hurricane blew through there right now. I think the only way I can keep it clean ALL the time is if I don't use it, LOL! I'm still trying to work on how I want to organize everything. It's a work in progress.

Perfect day - Hmmm, Let's see...how about, coffee, friends & shopping (for stamps of course!)

First job – My first "real" job was at a frozen yogurt shop when I was in high school. One of the nicest bosses I've ever had was at that job.

Wildest Dream - I'm not sure on this one. I would love to move somewhere different, more populated than where I'm at now, oh yeah, & my stamping store (that I open) would be there too ;). I know, not very wild but that is the first thing I came up with. Let me think about it a little more & I'll get back to you ;)

Ink – I have to agree with the Jennie & Rhonda on this one, I love Palette Ink, although I do use a lot of other inks as well.

Family – My hubby, a teenage stepson, & my 3 cats (my babies with fur)!

Beverage - Coffee & Water

Biggest challenge - This question is a little tough.....I think living with 2 males can be a bit of a challenge sometimes, LOL!!

I'm not sure who hasn't been tagged for this game (Tracy, have you??), I know I have visited a lot of bloggers that have been, so if you would like to play along, please do.....consider yourself tagged!

For some reason I can't get the spell check to work on Blogger, so I'm sorry if I have any boo boo's!!

Thank You Rhonda!!

2008-02-18T16:54:00.000-08:00

One of my FABULOUS gal pals Rhonda nominated me for this:
THANK YOU RHONDA!!! You are such a sweetheart & I appreciate your friendship & inspiration SO much! I would like to nominate a few gals as well: Kimberly G., Karrie & Jen. There is a bunch of others I would add, but I'm pretty sure somebody has already nominated you before me. Thank you ladies for your kind words when you stop by here & for all of the inspiration you give me on your blogs!!

AAWC #28 - Birthday Wishes

2008-02-15T13:52:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the not so great photo. It's beautiful here today, the sun is shining, so I tried to get a photo of this card outside, but I still have some shadowing in the picture. Also, I noticed that my stamped Elzy image looks like she's crooked, but she doesn't look this way IRL, it must have something to do with the way I took this photo. I have a couple of birthdays this month to get cards off for, so this weeks challenge over at the A Muse group to make birthday cards was perfect. I hope the recipient of this card will enjoy it. If you love A Muse stamps & want to join in all of the fun, you can click on the link I've posted on the side bar of my blog to join!! There really is a fabulous bunch of women involved in this group. Have a beautiful day!!

Card info: Sentiment & Notecard by A Muse Artstamps; Image by Elzybells NA, Pallette Ink in Noir; Copic Markers; Spica Glitter Pens.

Step It Up Challenge - Week 1

2008-02-12T21:35:00.000-08:00

I was really wanting to participate in the Step It Up Challenge for the A Muse group this week. The challenge was to make a set of 3x3 or similar size notecards with a holder. I made this set of 3x3 notes that fit into this cute little A Muse treat box. The template for this was in the A Muse weekly newsletter. This is made with the 4-bar note. It makes such a cute little container for holding treats and such. I thought it would make a perfect little holder for these mini cards. The first photo shows the mini cards in the treat box, & the second photo is of the mini cards which I made super simple. Thanks for stopping by!!

More ATC's To Share

2008-02-08T07:52:00.000-08:00

This is another ATC I made for one of Tracy's swap. It's for the Elzybells group. If you haven't checked out the latest release from Elzybells NA, Friendship Collection, they really came out with some adorable images. The theme for this swap is Valentine/Love, so since I didn't have a true Valentine/Love image from Elzybells, this is what I came up with. Have a happy day!
ATC info: Image by Elzybells NA; Sentiment & Heart Twinkle Sticker by A Muse Artstamps; DP by Bo Bunny Smitten Collection (awesome paper!); Twinkling H2O's; Copic Markers; Spica Glitter Pen; Marvy Scallop Oval Punch; Ribbon & Plain Cardstock unknown.

For All The Coffee Lovers Out There

2008-02-04T20:53:00.000-08:00

I had to share this cool billboard with you. It just makes me happy! I think all of you coffee drinkers out there can appreciate this image.

Swap Spoiler

2008-01-31T17:08:00.000-08:00

I haven't been making any cards lately, but I have been working on my ATC's for Tracy's (HI TRACY!!) swaps. This one is for the Memory Box group. If any of you are participating in the swap & want to be surprised, don't peek :) . I was debating about if I wanted to use a new penguin image, or one of my older "valentine" Memory Box images. They have some really cute "oldies" that are not penguins. In the end, I decided to go with the penguin. I added some extra sparkle to the DP & the rose using my Spica pens although it is hard to see in the photo. I also added pink Fun Flock to the top part of the heart candy box to make it fuzzy for fun. That is also really hard to see in the photo. ATC info: Image & sentiment by Memory Box; Copic Markers & Spica glitter pens; Misc. solid cardstock; Offray Grosgrain Ribbon; Provocraft DP; Palette Ink in Noir.

Isn't it beautiful?

2008-01-28T11:19:00.000-08:00

I snapped this photo this morning and thought I would share it with all of you. This is a shot of some trees across the street from my house & I thought the moon just above was pretty. It snow ALL day here yesterday & some more last night. I think it snowed about 5 inches or so. Today is just cold, but there is still a lot of the pretty white stuff. It hardly ever snows here, probably only every 6 years or so, so I really enjoy it when we get it. I hope everyone is having a happy start of their week.

You Made My Day!!

2008-01-25T15:52:00.000-08:00

Karrie & Tracy (bless their hearts) have made my day!! They put me on a list over on their blogs for this:THANK YOU LADIES!!

Award rules: Give the award to up to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel so happy about blogland! I have listed (in no particular order) some ladies that make my day & inspire me! Feel free to spread the love ladies or just know that you always make my day & inspire me. This list is in no particular order!!

1. TRACY (YES, I'M NOMINATING YOU AGAIN)
2. KARRIE (ANOTHER NOMINATION FROM ME)
3. JEN
4. JENNIE
5. RHONDA
6. NICOLE
7. SHARON IN NE (EVEN THOUGH SHE DOESN'T HAVE A BLOG!)
8. ERIKA
9. ANNA
10. MJ

Don't forget to check out my post below regarding Tracy's swaps!!

ATC Swap Alert...Come Join The Fun!

2008-01-24T14:40:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!! Sorry I haven't posted for a little while. I really appreciate all of you that stop by. I have been very sick this week with some creepy crawly crud & haven't felt like doing much of anything. My friend Tracy (HI TRACY!) is hostessing another ATC swap. The theme this time is Love/Valentine. She still has several spaces left in in Memory Box group. Memory Box has a ton of cute "love" images, new & old, or maybe you have a Memory Box image you could convert into a "love" theme. I hope you will consider joining. Tracy's swaps are ALWAYS a blast! I hope everyone has a great weekend. I hope to start feeling like myself again soon, so I can get back to posting!!

My very first altered item!!

2008-01-16T19:43:00.000-08:00

This is my VERY first altered item....can you believe it?!? I really don't know what has taken me so long, because it was so much fun! I have a bunch of these little Target mailboxes, so I will be doing some more practicing!! Not so bad for my first time, but I think I will change things up a little bit on the next one. It was the lids that I had trouble getting the paper perfect on & I think I would maybe do the flag a tad different. I just think these are the cutest little things, not only for Valentines Day, but for everyday for putting a little treat in for somebody. Filling it with marbled chocolate covered coffee beans sounds good to me! I really like this patterned paper by Bo Bunny called Smitten. They have a bunch of different patterns & I got a sheet in every pattern but one that the store didn't have(it was one of my favorites too). It has the prettiest shimmer to it!! I was originally going to use the same papers, but have the patterned heart paper on the body of the mailbox, but then I realized the hearts would be upside down on one side of the mailbox, so I changed it the other way. The inner circle on the flag was actually punched out from the paper then I stamped the sentiment on top of it. It is a little hard to read it in the picture, but it is the "Love Blooms" sentiment from most recent A Muse Valentine release.
Mailbox info: Target $1 spot mailbox; DP by Bo Bunny Smitten Collection; some small solid & patterned color card stock by Memory Box; Stamps by A Muse Artstamps; Copic Markers;All tied ribbon by May Arts except the ribbon the is underneath the tied ribbon on the stem of the flag I purchased at Michael's; Ribbon that is around the lids is JoAnn's Craft essentials ribbon.

Love Is In The Air

2008-01-14T20:48:00.000-08:00

It is so fun to make cards for Valentine's Day. I thought I would pull out some of my Cat's Pajama's images today and this is what I came up with. This actually turned out to be a very quick card to make & I'm happy with the way it turned out. I wasn't sure when I was coloring the "heart balloon" if I should color in the whole image or just the top. I'm thinking now that it may look better if I colored in the whole thing. I may change that & take another picture. Also, I may not have made it quite so "hilly" if I were to make this card again...I think it may make it a little out of proportion. Thanks for stopping by!!ETA: Below is my second version with the bottom of the "heart balloon" colored in. I think it probably looks better this way.

Card info: white card stock by GP; DP by Memory Box; Images by The Cat's Pajama's & Rubber Soul; Sentiment by A Muse Artstamps; Palette Noir Ink & Versa Magic Ink; Copic Markers & Stickles.

ETA: I've had a couple of questions on how I made the hills on this card. It was so simple, you are not going to believe it!! I took a sheet of patterned cardstock from the Memory Box pack pictured below, & I just cut a piece with scissors along one of the curves to create the hills...and VOILA...super easy!! I'm not sure if this paper pack is still made by Memory Box, but I'm sure you could find it online somewhere. The opposite side of the paper is the same pattern, but blue, perfect for making water!!

Hot Stuff!

2008-01-12T17:03:00.000-08:00

First off, I would like to dedicate this post to Karrie!! She really gets me inspired with all of her rockin' Memory Box creations!! Plus she's sweet enough to always stop by my little blog & leave me nice comments....love ya girl! Actually, there is several of you sweeties that stop by & leave nice comments....love you all!! So this is one of my new Memory Box penguins I got to play with today. Isn't he just the sweetest little thing? I'm not sure why the sentiment looks a little blurry, I may try & snap another photo. I got some inspiration from Tracy (Hi Tracy!) for criss- crossing the twine from this card she made. I was having a heck of a time deciding what I wanted to do with it, so thanks for the inspiration Tracy!! The sentiment is from The Cat's Pajama's. I hope everyone is having a happy weekend!!

Another Tag :)

2008-01-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

Stamping star Karrie has tagged me, so here it goes!!

1. Name your two favorite scrapbooking topics: Family/Friends/Pets & Vacation

2. What are the two best places you've been to? Canada & anywhere in the Northwest (it's beautiful here!!)

3. Name two things you do every day: Take a hot bath every night & have to have that coffee!

4. Tell us two things that everyone pretty much knows about you: I am brunette & I love cats!!

5. Two places you wish to visit: Colorado & Alaska

6. Two things you may not know about me are: I didn't get married until I was 34 & I had to have braces twice, on my bottom teeth since I didn't wear my lower retainer (bad girl), but now I have a permanent one.

7. Two nicknames you've had at some time in your life: Nancy Pooh (like pooh bear)(by my parents) & Nanners(from a previous boss).

8. Name two of your favorite drinks: I'm with Karrie on this one..Water & Coffee (drink both daily)

9. What are two interesting (in a good or bad way) jobs you've had in your life? My first official job was at a frozen yogurt shop when I was 16. That was kind of fun because we could eat all the frozen yogurt we wanted on the house when we were working although I think I burnt myself out on the stuff for life now. Also, jobs working with the public are always interesting. I have worked in Customer Service for many years in my life & let me tell you it can be very interesting in good & BAD ways ;)

10. What are two things you would like to learn? How to sew & become better being organized!!

11. What two things would make your scrapping/stamping work space work even better for you? Well, since I'm just getting started on working on my first "real" stamping space, one thing would be to have it done, and another would be to not to have to share it with another space. I will be sharing the space with our very little used guest room.

12. My question will be What are two of your favorite stamp companies? I have a big place in my heart for A Muse & Elzybells :)

I have to tag TWO people and they have to answer the above questions and add one of their own. The only hitch? You have to ask in twos... see the theme above?? So I will tag Jen & Rhonda.

Playing with chalks

2008-01-12T09:41:00.000-08:00

I made this card as a thank you to Rhonda (HI RHONDA!!!) for doing me a really sweet favor. I forgot to snap a photo of the card before I sent if off, so Rhonda, bless her heart, e-mailed me a photo. This is my first time at playing with my Pebbles Shimmer Chalks, & I think I need A LOT more practice. I do like the soft look they give to an image & they really do sparkle IRL. I think I'm going to have fun experimenting some more with them.

Thank You

2008-01-08T07:06:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say thank you to anyone that may still stop by & read my blog. I know I haven't been posting at all lately. The holidays took a lot out of me I think. I'm slowly getting back in the groove of things. I've been working on Thank You cards for holiday gifts, & this is one of the ones I came up with. I know this is a winter image, but it still winter right? This is my first time inking it up. I didn't want winter to pass by without using it. The image is mostly colored (on her outfit) in with Twinkling H2O's. My first time at playing with those too. If you click on the picture, I think you get a better idea of how they sparkle. How fun!! Have a wonderful day!!
Card info: Images by Elzybells & A Muse Artstamps; A Muse Note; Martha Stewart Border Punch; Twinkling H2O's; Copic Markers; Stampin' Up & Palette Noir Ink; Glitter Glue (JoAnn's); Marvy Scalloped Oval Punches; Hole punch; May Arts Ribbon.

Happy New Year!!

2007-12-31T07:33:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!! I just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. I'll see you all in 2008. I'm hoping to start posting more soon. I'm looking forward to things hopefully slowing down a bit. I have a new blog banner to start off the year right! You like?

I've been tagged!!

2007-12-16T11:35:00.000-08:00

WHOA!! I've been tagged by Michelle, Jen, Tracy , Erika & Lori!! Hi ladies!! I'm supposed to list 7 random things about myself & tag 7 others, but I think everyone I would tag has been tagged already, so we'll just go with the 7 random things about myself.

1. I was adopted as a newborn. I am so thankful for that. I had a teenage biological mother & I believe she made the right decision to give me a better life.

2. I prefer DARK chocolate. I don't like a lot of sweets, but I go through phases where I crave them more.
3. I'm camera shy...I don't know why, just not crazy about having my picture taken. Probably because I don't like the way most of my pictures turn out.
4. I love cats. I have 3, Bridget, Gizmo & Harley. They are my babies since I don't have any children of my own yet. I would like to have a child, but I don't think DH is going for it. I have a stepson that is 17, my DH had him young, at 19 I think, so he's not sure if he wants to go through it all over again (BOO), but that's a whole other story I won't drag all of you into. Plus, I'm 5 years away from the big 40, so I'm getting to the age where it is a little more risky. :(
5. I used to be addicted to going to the tanning beds. Not anymore. I did it for so long, I have to be really careful now. So now I'm just pasty white....I have very fair skin!!
6. I like to recycle. I'm not perfect at it, but I like to do my part by recycling what I can.
7. I don't like really hot weather. I would like it about 70-75 degrees year round. Spring & Fall are most favorite seasons.

I hope those were random enough. I thought I would share some pictures with you since I'm sharing things about myself. Pictured below are my 3 babies, Bridget (the oldest of the bunch), Gizmo (she's a girl, I didn't name her, she used to belong to one of my neighbors, and I just kept her name), & the baby of the bunch Harley. The last picture is of my stepson & his girlfriend on his 17th birthday.

Crabbing At The Coast

2007-12-09T22:37:00.000-08:00

We spent the weekend at the Oregon coast to go crabbing. The weather was beautiful, but VERY cold. We were nearly the only crazy people over there. This was the only trip we actually caught "keepers" so that was pretty cool. I think we may have caught a total of 8 "keepers" in all, which doesn't sound like a lot, but we were happy. I have shared a few photos below from our trip.

A Coast Guard ship that is headed out on patrol. Also in the picture is the docks that we crab off of.
This is our first keeper!! (Wait, actually, I think it may have been the second!)Oh no, he's trying to get away!! ;-)
These two photos I just thought were pretty shots of the water & the dock area.

Paying It Forward - My Turn

2007-12-09T17:23:00.000-08:00

This is a wonderful time of year. Tis' the season for giving, right? I am participating in the "Pay It Forward" for bloggers. Since I was one of the first 3 people to leave a comment on MJ's blog, she is going to send me a surprise.

So here is where the fun for you comes in. You must have a blog to participate & if you are one of the first 3 to leave a comment here, you agree to "pay it forward" to 3 others on YOUR blog (please leave me a link to your blog in your comment, so I can contact you). This is a giving time of the year, so I hope a few of you will play along. The first three that wish to participate & leave a comment here, will be receiving some crafty/stamping goodies from me.

I haven't done any stamping this weekend, but I will be back to share some photos with you of what I was up to this weekend.

A Muse ATC - Knit Happens

2007-12-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

Yet another ATC sneek peek for Tracy's swaps. This one if for the A Muse group. I wasn't quite sure about the layout of this when I started out, I wasn't sure how it would all come together, but I'm pretty happy with the end result. I don't knit myself, but I think these stamps are cute together & would make cute cards. Have a great day!

ATC info: Misc. solid card stock; DP by Memory Box; Image & sentiment by A Muse Artstamps; Versa Magic & Palette Ink; Buttons by Making Memories; Glue Dots; White Gel Pen; Piercing Template by Lasting Impressions; Nesting Circle Punches by EK Success.

The Cat's Pajama's ATC - Snowflake Poochie

2007-12-03T10:42:00.000-08:00

I think this may be my favorite of all the different groups of ATC's for Tracy's swaps. Both of these stamps are from my recent order from The Cat's Pajama's. I just couldn't pass up the great sale they were having a couple of weeks ago. In fact, I ended up placing an order at the beginning of the sale, then late Sunday night, I decided to place a second order before the sale ended, so I have lots of fun new stamps to play with. I was kind of trying to do a mini version of TCP sketch #4 that I've seen on the TCP DT members blogs. Thanks for the inspiration girls! I used my Spica clear glitter pen on the falling snowflake to add some sparkle, but it doesn't show in the picture. I'm still having some software issues with my computer, but I think I have it part way figured out. I need to contact a couple of people today that are going to try and help me out. Happy Monday everyone! ATC info: Misc. Card Stock; Image & Sentiment by The Cat's Pajama's; Background Stamp by Impress; Eyelets by Making Memories; Palette Noir, Versa Magic Sea Breeze & Stampin' Up White Craft Ink; Red Stickles (on Poochie's tongue); Spica Clear Glitter Pen.

Memory Box ATC - What's Cookin'?

2007-12-02T16:49:00.000-08:00

I still am having problems uploading photos onto my blog from how I typically do them (I know it's driving me crazy though), so I'm not sure what is going on. With some fiddling around, I managed to get this photo here, and I'm not even sure how I did it, but we'll see if I can do it again. I'm hoping I can find someone that is a lot more computer knowledgeable than I am to maybe help me. :) I'm participating in 5 different ATC swaps that my friend Tracy is hostessing (HI TRACY....are you peeking??). This is for the Memory Box group. I haven't played around with my penguins as much as I would like to, so this was a fun group to create something. I wanted to use some pink since I know Tracy is a fan of pink as am I. I used my clear Copic Spica glitter pen on the chef hat & apron, but the sparkle does not show up in the photo. By the way, if you ever need to purchase any of these Memory Box cuties, I like to purchase mine from Anna. She has awesome customer service & is a real sweetheart too! ATC info: Misc. Card Stock; DP from Making Memories; Palette Noir Ink; Copic Markers & Spica Clear Glitter Pen; Image by Memory Box & Sentiment by A Muse Artstamps; Ribbon unknown.

BUMMED!!

2007-11-29T16:36:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I'm bummed because I'm having computer issues that I can't figure out, so I will not be posting any creations until I do. I was hoping to share my ATC's for Tracy's swaps with you, but I can't load any of my new photos to blogger for some reason. I updated my version of Kodak Easyshare software & ever since I loaded the new version, when I browse my photos in blogger, it doesn't show any of the new ones I've uploaded to that software. I am not very tech savvy at all, so of course I can't seem to get it to work out no matter what I've tried. So, I'm not sure what is going on. I hope to get it figured out soon. Until then....happy days everyone!!

November Bumper Card

2007-11-26T10:34:00.000-08:00

This is the card I made for my recipient for the November bumper card for our fun group over on Yahoo. Hopefully they have received the card by now. I kind of cheated a little, instead of masking where the ice is, I just colored the pants & stockings of the skaters black. I got the inspiration for the layout of this card from Rhonda. I totally feel like I'm in a stamping slump right now & I hate it. I hopefully will have some ATC's to post later on in the week for my pal Tracy's ATC swaps.

Card info: Note card & Patterned Paper by Memory Box; Misc. other card stock; Images & Sentiment by A Muse Artstamps; Palette Noir & Stampin' Up Ink; Copic Markers; Glitter Glue; Ribbon by A Muse Artstamps.

Happy Birthday Rhonda.....You're Sweet!!

2007-11-24T07:50:00.000-08:00

This is a card I made for Rhonda using this sketch. Today is her birthday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY RHONDA, so I felt like it was a good day to post her card since I know she has already received it. If I were to do this card again, I would make the lollipop a lighter color because after adding the DD to it, it was hard to see the color through them for some reason & I probably would have made the polka dots on Makenna's dress a different color. I feel so blessed to have met Rhonda, she really is a beautiful person, inside & out!!
Card Info: White Card Stock by Georgia Pacific; Textured Card Stock by DCWV; Patterned Paper by Making Memories?; Copic Markers; DD glitter by Stampin' Up; Image, sentiment, ribbon & twinkle heart sticker by A Muse Artstamps!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

2007-11-22T11:27:00.000-08:00

I wanted to wish everyone a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! I hope everyone has a relaxing day & you get to eat LOTS of yummies! I am so thankful for all of the WONDERFUL friends I have met through blogging.....BIG hugs to all of you!!

2008 A Muse Calendar

2007-11-14T22:51:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!! Did you purchase your 2008 A Muse Calendar yet? You can look here, oh... and here too, for fun ideas for these calendars. They are so cute & really support a great cause! I just purchased mine tonight & I can't wait to play. Maybe I can come up with some cool gift ideas for the holidays :).

ATC Countdown - #1

2007-11-13T19:53:00.000-08:00

YAY!! Finally........ my last ATC for Taylor's swap groups. This is for the Stamping Bella group. This is actually my very first Bella I've ever stamped. I just recently received my very first order of Bella's, so I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to play with them. I found this group a little tricky because of the size of Bella's are larger to work with on ATC's. I decided to crop the image a little. What do you think? I know the colors are kind of bright & busy, but I thought they worked OK. I'm going to give myself a couple of days to rest up before I start on my swaps for my FABULOUS gal pal Tracy!! (11-17-07 I added a photo to show color added to arms & cheeks, also the handle of umbrella that I added after I took the first photo. I thought her arms needed some skin color :) After I kept looking at my first one, I decided it just needed that little extra to make it complete. )

ATC info: Image by Stamping Bella; Sentiment by A Muse Artstamps (Animal Wishes set); Solid Card Stock unknown; Patterned Paper Making Memories (?); Ribbon from Michael's; Copic Markers; Adirondack & Palette Noir Ink.

ATC Countdown - #2

2007-11-12T20:08:00.000-08:00

I'm almost done with all of my ATC's for Taylor's swaps. Then I get to start on Tracy's ;) !! I am in 2 Elzybells groups so this is going to one of the groups that I'm in. I don't know if you can see in the photo, but I put fun flock on the white trim & ear muffs to make them fuzzy. I also used a white Sakura Glaze pen on the ice skates to give them some dimension & shine. I thought the sentiment from A Muse would be cute to pair with the skater.

ATC Info: Image by Elzybells; Sentiment & oval by A Muse Artstamps; Misc. solid card stock; patterned card stock by Memory Box; Inks by Palette Noir, Adirondack & Stampin' Up; Copic Markers; Sakura Glaze Pen; Fun Flock; Dimensionals.

ATC Countdown - #3

2007-11-11T09:08:00.000-08:00

This ATC did not turn out exactly how I had envisioned it. I think if I would have planned it a little better, I could have added the elements I originally wanted to. I wanted to use my A Muse stamps differently for this ATC. Instead of using a standard stamp, I thought it would be cute to spell out a holiday word with my polka dot lower case alphabet. I used the ornament from the Simple Celebrations set to create the "O". I added some glitter to the ornament for sparkle! Have a happy Sunday everyone!!

ATC info: All images by A Muse Artstamps; Misc. Card Stock; Patterned Paper from Michael's; VersaMagic Chalk Ink; Copic Marker; Art Institute Glitter; Ribbon(?); Dimensionals.

ATC Countdown - #4

2007-11-10T08:33:00.000-08:00

My next ATC to share for Taylor's swaps is The Cat's Pajama's group. This set I actually received as blog candy from Karrie. She is just the sweetest! I'm embarrassed to admit this, but this is my first time at inking this set up!! OMG....did I just say that out loud??? Don't be mad Karrie :) . I seriously love this set & now that it's been broken in, there is more on the way!! I really enjoyed making this one. There is prisma glitter on the hats, but it did not show up well in the photo.
ATC info: Misc card stock & patterned paper; all images by The Cat's Pajama's; VersaFine Ink; Copic Markers; A Muse Micro Dot Twinkle Stickers; Copic Spica Glitter Pen; Prisma Glitter.

ATC Countdown - #5

2007-11-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

I am participating in a number of ATC swaps right now, 5 of which are with Taylor. I thought it would be fun to do a little countdown of my swaps. My first one to share is an Elzybells group. This picture does not show the sparkle at all. It sparkles more IRL. The lights are are glittered by a Copic Spica Glitter pen & her dress is covered in prisma glitter.
ATC info: Image by Elzybells; Sentiment by A Muse; Copic Markers; Copic Spica Glitter pen; Prisma Glitter; Stampin' Up Craft White & Adirondack Pitch Black Ink; Misc. card stock & ribbon.

Seven Random Things....

2007-10-28T18:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry this has taken me a couple of days to get to...but Karrie (who totally rocks by the way!!)tagged me to play this game of sharing 7 random things, so here it goes...

Here are the RULES:

ONE - Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.

TWO - Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself (on your blog, we all want to know them).

THREE - Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

1. I'm kind of germaphobic

2. I spend more on my crafting items than I do on clothes, but maybe some of you other crafty ladies out there can relate to this.

3. I LOVE AVOCADOS!! I eat them almost everyday!!

4. My hubby and I got married on a whim (yes, it was totally unplanned) while we were away on a business trip. The bad part is, we go on this business trip every year, and our anniversary was during the time we were on the trip this year. Hopefully it won't be every year!!

5. I can't whistle

6. I have a scar on my left cheek from running in to the corner of a coffee table when I was a child.

7. Even though I'm thin, I still have cellulite!!! What's up with that???? Maybe I should stop eating so many avocados!!!??? :)

Now if you happen to read this and want to share 7 random things about yourself, feel free to. I don't think I would be able to come up with 7 people that haven't already been tagged for this, and I probably don't even have 7 people that read my blog :)!!

Why I'm smiling today....

2007-10-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

I was doing my daily blog browsing today when I stopped by Tracy's always inspiring blog, when I stumbled upon this. She has nominated me for a "You Make Me Smile" award. WOW Tracy...you really know how to make a girl feel special!! Such a talented lady & a sweetheart as well! THANK YOU TRACY!!

I know that a lot of great gals out there have already been nominated for this, but I would like to nominate some women that inspire & make me smile!!

Karrie - Burnin' Rubber

Karen - Texas Chattin' Bunny...

Rhiannon - Rings Like a Bell

Fun Things To Share

2007-10-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

The first thing I would like to share today is a super cute altered notebook that I received in the mail yesterday from the amazing Karrie!! Isn't it adorable??? She had a super fun thing called "inquiring minds" over on here blog where we all got to know each other better. It was super fun & she gave away these FABULOUS altered notebooks as prizes for playing along!! Karrie is so talented and I truly admire her work! If you are not familiar with her blog, you need to go check it out now! THANK YOU KARRIE...I LOVE MY NOTEBOOK!The next item to share is a fun A Muse card I whipped up for an amazing woman! I will keep the recipient a secret for now, even though I doubt she would see this.

Card Info: Misc. cardstock; Notecard, micro-dot twinkle stickers & stamp images by A Muse Artstamps; Adirondack Pitch Black Ink; Copic Markers; Marvy Mega & Giga Scallop Oval Punches; Stickles.

Happy Fall!!

2007-10-16T10:17:00.000-07:00

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. I love the changing color of the leaves. This is a "bumper card" I made to send to my recipient on the list. I really hope she likes it!! I added sparkle to the leaves using a Copic Spica Glitter Pen, but it does not show up in the photo. :(

Card info: Card stock by Memory Box & Georgia Pacific; Patterned Paper is from Micheal's (not sure of brand); Images by A Muse Artstamps & Sentiment is by Savvy; Adirondack Espresso & Versa Color Inks; Copic Markers & Spica Glitter Pen; Ribbon unknown.

Simple & Quick Thank You

2007-10-08T17:58:00.001-07:00

This is a really quick thank you I made. I feel like it's lacking something, but it will have to do. I need to get them out as soon as possible.

Card Info: Memory Box note card, Image by Impress, Adirondak Ink, Copic Markers

10/16/07 I've added a second photo showing some changes I made to this card. I'm much happier with it now :)

Card for a Friend

2007-10-03T16:23:00.000-07:00

This is a card a made for a friend of mine that I don't get to see often enough. I actually used it as a birthday card. I love this little truck stamp by Impress. I think it's probably a really old stamp, but I think it's so cute!

Card Info: Misc Card Stock; Images by Impress (Truck w/flowers) & A Muse Artstamps (sentiment & retro rectangle), Stampin Up punch, Lasting Impressions silver brads.