~ Perfecting Imperfection~

I'm back...

2009-09-21T20:57:00.004-04:00

....a couple months shy of a year later! What happened? Well... just a few days after I posted my last blog I found out that we were expecting baby #2. It took us a little by surprise... wait... that's a lie!!! It down right shocked us. While we wanted to add to our family, right then was quite what we were expecting. After all, we had a 5 year plan. After much trouble getting pregnant with Ashlinn we were not expecting it to happen out of the blue.

Anyway, the pregnancy wasn't a normal pregnancy in regards to what most women experience. It started off with morning sickness which was the first sign to me that something was up. Around the 14th week I started experiencing the same problems I had with Ashlinn's pregnancy except this time around it was much worse. I'll spare the details from the hell that I endured because quite frankly, I'd rather not remember the hell I went through.

So, onto the best part...we welcomed another little girl into our family. On July 9, 2009 our precious little girl, Emersyn Jean was born at 5:20pm. She weighed 7lbs 3oz and 19 inches long.

She is such a great baby and if it wasn't for the occasional squeal from her you wouldn't even know we had a newborn in the house.

Big sister is finally starting to adjust to not having all of the attention. I thought I was going to lose my mind for a little while. Although I thought she'd want to be more of a helper...she's just not that into it.

So, that my friends is where I've been for the past 10 months or so. I have gotten back into my card making and will hopefully be updating on a regular basis again as I am working on more fun projects for upcoming craft shows :)

Stay tuned!!!

O' Christmas Tree

2008-11-25T23:13:00.006-05:00

I am one of those crazy Christmas loving decorating fools. My friends all tease me because normally I put my tree up the day after Halloween. Yes, November 1st!!!! I got a late start due to the craft show so it didn't go up until the 2nd weekend of November. My 2.5 year old daughter helped me decorate and was rather cute helping me place ornaments. Here is a picture of her helping with the lights.

I also get teased a lot for having a non-hodge-podge tree. I will cherish this until Ashlinn starts making ornaments for the tree. I've been teasing my husband that this will be "MY" tree and we can put another in our finished basement. He's not buying that idea just yet.

So here is our 2008 tree that is missing the bow for now. I haven't unpacked it yet. I have to dig for it this weekend.

What a success!

2008-11-25T22:57:00.004-05:00

I had my very first craft show this past Saturday. I was a little nervous, no...I was down right scared to death!!!! I stayed up until 2am on Friday night crafting more as I felt I didn't have enough. When 2am hit...I told my friend Stephanie - I quit! We had to be back up at 6am to get ready to head to the show and set up. We arrived with about an hour or so to set up and not having time to do a "mock set up" I just sorta winged it... I didn't have time to take pictures so that bums me out.

The show started at 9am and we had a steady stream of customers through out the entire day. They seemed to flock to my booth in groups which was kinda weird. I had people lined up to get Christmas tags that I had made and put in piles allowing them to mix and match. This was against my wishes as I had wanted my husband to help me bag them up. However, lesson learned...we both think they sold way better unbagged where people could pick which 8 they wanted for $2.00.

I had several compliments on how beautiful my cards were. Although I didn't sell as many cards at this show as I had hoped...profit wise...I did EXCELLENT. Way more than I expected. It boosted my ego some and left me with motivation to get into another craft show on December 6th. We had several requests for birthday, thank you and get well cards and I had only a few on hand. So in the next week or two, I'll focus solely on those cards and restocking my gift tags.

I had altered letters " Ho Ho Ho" and that sold within the first hour. I actually had one other person come back and want to buy it but it was gone. I've picked up more for the next show and can't wait to get them done.

In the mean time I haven't been able to take many pictures - but I'll leave you with an altered frame that I made with a Christmas theme paper. I don't remember who the paper manufacturer is though...

Mini Tote's and 3x3 Cards

2008-10-11T17:11:00.002-04:00

I finally got a chance to sit down and make some more stuff for the craft show. These 3x3 cards are so fun and easy to make. I've decided to put them in a mini tote. This set was made from new Stampin' Up! Ski Slope designer paper, Old Olive Card Stock, and the following stamp sets: Tags So Much, Say It With Scallops, and Punches Three.

Each tote holds 4 cards and envelopes pretty comfortably. I added some tissue to finish it off. I'm pretty happy with the results and they are super easy to mass produce. I've made 3 sets already!!

Brad and I headed out to a LSS out by my parents house. I was in search of some different stamps and designer paper but only ended up buying one set of stamps and a few sheets of paper. Sometimes they have super cute stamps but I only saw a few but didn't feel the "have to have" feeling with them. From there we hit up Hobby Lobby to pick up a few more frames for me to alter.

I'm making good progress on the craft show stuff finally! I felt so behind. I just haven't been up to it lately. My Grandma has been diagnosed with Stage 2 lung cancer. She starts radiation and chemotherapy on Monday. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Merry Wishes Nugget Tin

2008-09-28T22:16:00.003-04:00

I've been trying to be productive this weekend. I think I was able to make about 20 cards, one altered letter and one nugget tin. I have 9 more nugget tins to go!!! The one I made tonight was using new Designer Series Paper from the Holiday Mini Catalog that is available in October. This project is incredibly easy to make no matter what the occasion. I have made this set for Christmas to sell in the craft show. I may have to lock them up to keep my daughter from getting into them. While I was wrapping the nuggets she discovered that I had them out and asked for one. I told her she could have just one but Mommy needed them for a project. She ate it and sure enough she came back for another one. My husband chimed in and told her "No Ashlinn, Mommy needs those".... she started saying "want one Mommy" so how could I resist. She got another one and headed over to my husband and says "Ha Ha, got one!!!" He and I both burst into laughter. For being only 2 she amazes us sometimes! She ended up getting three! That would fill one row of my nugget tin!!! Little stinker!

For the outside I decided to use my new snowflake edge punch made by Fiskars. It's not as easy to use as the SU Scalloped Edge or my Martha Stewart edge punches that's for sure. I made a 2" band of Kiwi Kiss and a 2" band of Baja Breeze. I took the snowflake edge punch to both sides of the Baja Breeze. Then I punched Tangerine Tango and Close to Cocoa circles out and glued every other color behind the snowflakes to add color. Once I was finished I glued it to the center of the Kiwi Kiss cardstock. I used 5/8" white grosgrain ribbon in the center of the band. The tag is made from a SU! set that I don't recall the name of at the moment. I attached it with silver elastic ribbon to match the tin. The tag is also layered a bit to give it some dimension and I used two different inks as well.

Picture this...

2008-09-16T18:46:00.001-04:00

I'm still at a loss for what all I should sell at the craft show. I don't want too much product but I also don't know what will sell and what won't. I ran to Michael's thanks to them sending me a coupon for 50% off one regular priced item. There really isn't anything that I "need" or "want" for that matter. While wandering around aimlessly trying to find something to spend my coupon on Sherry and I came across some small wood block picture holders. They were plain wood with Christmas pictures on each side. I thought they might be perfect for altering. Whether they will sell at the craft show is beyond me. I tinkered around with one and added a bow to the top near the swirl that holds the picture. I took the picture before I added the bow as you can see. If they don't sell, I'm only out a dollar and scrap supplies. I'll then turn them into X-mas gifts for someone!! haha.. beware...if one of these ends up in your mailbox after the craft show, you'll know why!

A is for Altered

2008-09-09T22:54:00.001-04:00

I've always loved the look of altered letters but never tried it on wood. Chipboard seems to be a bit flimsy compared to the pressed wood. I'm not sure how well these would sell at a craft show but if it doesn't sell...I'm not out much. Besides, my daughter's name starts with an "A" and I could always do the rest of her name. The best part, the colors would match her bedroom!

Maybe I'm crazy!

2008-09-09T22:44:00.001-04:00

I don't know what I was thinking... my friend Sherry and I have decided to participate in a craft show in November. I love working with paper...designing, creating, etc so I don't know why I'm so nervous. I'd like to think that the quality of my cards has vastly improved from when I first started a little over a year and a half ago. Each person has a different learning curve as well as style. I myself, love the "WOW" factor. I'm more interested in the quality than anything. I don't like too much stuff cluttering my cards and if it's not perfect..I keep fiddling with it until it is.

But, I'm nervous as can be that I'll get to this craft show and my stuff won't sell. I'd hate to have to haul it all back home. Not to mention the blow to my ego. I've been in one other craft show but that was selling jewelery (bracelets) that I used to make. I did pretty well but this is a different market. Pricing seems to be the key ingredient. I myself, would rather go to a craft show and pay for nice quality items such as a homemade card rather than purchasing a card at a store. Some people aren't like me though. I'm different from the next person who is different from the person after that.

So tell me... if you have any good ideas for what you would buy or expect to see at a booth with hand crafted items altered with paper etc. I made some gift bags that can double as note totes - meaning I can make 4-5 cards that match the bag and they fit inside. The cards would portray the designer paper on the outside - ie: Christmas designer paper would have Christmas related cards. This is one of the bags I've made but still need to finish.

Friends from the big city

2008-08-23T12:23:00.005-04:00

This day seemed like it would never get here! Two awesome girlies that I met in July are coming for a visit today. Carol and Christa are fellow stampers and CafeMom members, which is where I originally met them. They will be here shortly and I'll be showing them my side of Michigan.

Neither of them have been to Hobby Lobby!!! How exciting will this be ???....I just hope they don't leave here broke!! Their husbands may never let them com to my house again! I am surprised that there aren't any Hobby Lobby stores in their neck of the woods considering we have two within a half hour of each other!

From there, we'll head to Lansing's one and only local scrapbook store. We will probably hit Michaels and Joann's while were out and about. So that is what is in store for today :)

The other day I had the chance to make a few cards and here is another one that I made using one of my new Stampin' Up! sets. This one is from Two Cool Dudes. I can't resist a set that has adorable snowmen in it!

I'm hoping to be able to get a lot more done this weekend as my in-laws have Ashlinn. She seems to be having fun and hasn't cried to come home. YAY!!

New stuff!

2008-08-20T21:18:00.005-04:00

I know, I know...it's been a few days since I last updated. I've been super, errr waaaay too busy at work to even think about being creative. My new Fall/Winter 2008 order came today and after spending a good hour and a half mounting 15 sets of die cut stamps I only had half an ounce of creativity in me. So what does one do when they only have an ounce of creativity you might ask?? Case a card and call it good! I'm feeling all sorts of Christmas-y at the moment. Perhaps because it's just around the corner or maybe I am sick of the heat already? Either way, I love this set! It's so whimsical.

An update on Zoe... she went to U of M -Ann Arbor on August 11 and it has been determined that the mass in her brain is NOT cancer!!! This is such great news. At the moment she continues to take siezure medicine and will continue for the next 2 years. She's not had any other episodes and seems to be doing well. They will be monitoring the mass. Thank you for all your thoughts and continued prayers.

I received my new Winter Mini Catalog in the mail and can't wait to order some stamp sets out of it! I am still "wowed" by the new catty but the mini makes it so much sweeter! Thank goodness I have a few weeks to play with my new stuff! it will hopefully make the time fly while I wait impatiently to order again!

No cards today...so how about some pictures?

2008-08-05T21:20:00.011-04:00

I had a pretty exhausting day at work and it carried over into making cards tonight. I tried watercoloring a Cuttlebug folder and wasted a ton of watercolor paper. I ended up giving up after ohhh...five or six sheets? I stopped counting.

So I figure why not share pictures of my crafting area? I rearranged my desk this weekend to make my space more workable and within an arms reach. I've still got to finish working on my ribbon obssession. The tension rods tend to slip down and I have bunch that need to be put on rods still. My husband suggested that I stop buying ribbon but that just isn't an option!! I LOOOOVE me some ribbon!

So, here you have it...

As you can see...it's still a work in progress. I'm still trying to convince my husband to give me the spare bedroom so that I can turn it into a craft room rather than being stuck in the basement corner. At least it's a finished basement and it has good lighting. I'd like to hang some shelves but if this isn't my permanent spot...I'd rather not put holes in the walls. We'll see... baby #2 may be in the future and in that case, we'll have to build me a few walls in the basement for a room.

Blog Award...my first eva!!

2008-08-04T19:32:00.005-04:00

I almost forgot... I received my very first Blog award!! A special thanks to Heather for this Brilliante award. I met Heather on CafeMom and have enjoyed each of her card creations. Her love for cofee and card making go hand in hand.

This award has rules also ... I now have to share this with 7 new, beautifully talented ladies as well... Here goes!

Here are the rules:

1. Post the logo on your blog.

2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.

3. Nominate 7 other worthy bloggers.

4. Add links to their blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message for your nominees on their logs.

And the ladies I think deserve this award are...

1. Cass

2. Lisa

3. Nicole

4. Shemaine

5. BootyBella

6. Faith

7. Jessica

Thank you all! I love your blogs!!! Thanks for giving me inspiration and motivation!!!

The winner of my first BLOG CANDY goes to....

2008-08-03T20:32:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to comment number 18.... Bootybella! Known as Bella013175 on SCS. She is also participating in the secret sister swap I am doing. Her favorite embellishment is RIBBON. A girl after my own heart!! I checked out her card gallery and she has some beee-autiful cards as well!

Thanks to those of you who stopped by and left me a comment! I've got some more yummy blog candy coming up this Friday so be sure to check back!!

Secret Sister Goodies

2008-08-03T15:35:00.004-04:00

I forgot to post pictures of my goodies that my SCS secret sister sent me a few weeks agon. I got some dotted ribbon and some clear stamps. Thank you SS!

I've had fun looking for things that are on my SS wish list. I sent her August package yesterday and it should be arriving shortly. That is if the postal worker doesn't hold it hostage. A few of the girls have had their packages held up for some reason. One girl on my CM secret sister swap had her packaged open and almost all of the contents taken out so I've decided to ship all my swaps in boxes. Better safe than sorry I suppose. I'd hate to have my SS open an empty package especially with all the goodies I've got in store for her!

Hope you are all having a great weekend! Don't forget to post a comment on the Blog Candy post...it ends tonight at 8pm!

Ohhh... yummy BLOG CANDY!!!

2008-08-01T11:00:00.004-04:00

Hey Ladies! I haven't had any time to be creative this week but, I do have some blog candy to give away! I was sorting through my goodies and discovered that I have a duplicate set of brand spankin' new standard circle Nestabilities!!! These things are great! They work in a variety of different machines such as Cuttlebug, Zip’eMat by Accucut, ZAZ by Accucut, Sizzix, Sidekick & Tag-a-Long, QuicKutz Revolution, Big Shot by Ellison Design, and Big Kick. For a tutorial on how they work with each machine please visit Papertreyink.com.

Interested yet?? Leave me a comment! I'll randomly choose a winner from all who comment and get these in the mail to you!

Tell me what your favorite embelleshment is and who makes it! Prima's? Brad's? Stickles? Whatever it may be!

Mine is Dew Drops by The Robin's Nest.

You've got until 8:00pm eastern time on Sunday to leave a comment! I'll use a random number generator to pick a winner from the comments, and will post the winner on Monday morning!!

Have a great weekend!

Great American Scrapbook Convention

2008-07-27T09:35:00.003-04:00

My friend Amy and I ventured to Grand Rapids yesterday (about a 45 minute drive) to attend the Great American Scrapbook Convention. I've been to other conventions so I had an idea of what one should be like. We were both pretty giddy as we approached the DeVos Place in anticipation of the goodies we'd find. I have to say there were some great vendors but I was a little disappointed that there weren't more. I realize that you can only have so many scrapbook layout booths and so many stamp booths but the truth is - it's all about pricing for me. We hit one vendor who was selling the $1.00 stamps that I purchased a few weeks ago at Joann's for $3.45!!! That is an insane mark up if you ask me. I guess it's a good thing that I'm anally frugal and do my research on prices for scrapbooking goodies. Makes my money go a lot further. My main goal yesterday was to find some new Cuttlebug folders and some embellishments that I may not have. Oh, and a few acrylic albums to alter.

Shortly after we arrived we came upon a booth that had the new Cuttlebug folders. I shouldn't have gotten them all but sometimes I am impatient, ok I'll be honest, I *AM* impatient and had to get all the ones that I liked. I haven't seen them in Michael's, Joann's or Hobby Lobby yet so the anticipation was killing me. I *should* have waited and used my coupons on them when they do get them in stock but I have some new toys to play with now! Check them out!

I also grabbed some two sided stickers to use with my Doodlebug glitter and flock. We'll see how sucessfull I am at making them look as good as they do!

All in all, we had a great time. We also went to a local scrapbook store in Grand Rapids. WOW! It had soooo much stuff! It's a good thing it's not local!

How are things on your end?

2008-07-25T23:19:00.005-04:00

There is nothing sweeter than stumbling across a website that sells super cute stamps at an even super cheap price. A few weeks ago I was searching for some new stamps while I impatiently wait for the new SU! catty to arrive. I did a search for "clear stamps" and the site New Clear Dollar Stamps was one of the top search results. I clicked on the link and fell in love with the Clearly Delightful stamps by Laurie Wilson. In particular, Charlie the Horse. I ended up ordering all the Charlie stamps and many others. To top it off, shipping was super fast and that is always a plus in my book!

This week in one of my favorite card groups on CafeMom we had a sketch challenge was from a previous Bella sketch challenge (BSC35). I couldn't possibly use Bella since she is ever so popular right now so I figured I'd give Charlie a whirl. Isn't he just the cutest horse you've eva seen? I tried to stick to the challenge layout without any additions.

I used my SU pencils and blender pens since I hadn't gotten a chance to get mineral spirits yet to use with my Koh-I-Noor pencils. (They ROCK!) I used SU! DSP and CS. Sponged the edges to give it a bit of a softer look.

So How's everything on your end? On my end, I've lost my mojo :( Hopefully after I return from the scrapbook convention Saturday I will have some new fresh ideas. I'm hoping to come across some acrylic books. I saw one at the Little Scrapbox store and it look soooo cool. I'd sign up for that class if it wasn't so darn far away.

And an update on Zoe .... the surgeons looked over her CAT scan and MRI in depth today and it has been determined that she has 1 inch tumor on the front left of her brain. This is what is obviously causing the seizures and they are now trying to control them with epilepsy medication. Apparently two of the surgeons are having conflicting suggestions on the next steps. One wants to wait and watch the tumor for a few months to see if it changes and the other wants to go in immediately and do a biopsy for cancer. Unfortunately, the latter option would mean they would have to shave part of her head and drill a hole. Her family is going to the University of Michigan Children's Hospital to get a second opinion. Please continue to pray for Zoe and her family.

Praying for Zoe

2008-07-24T21:01:00.006-04:00

This morning my mom's boss was heading to Tennessee on vacation with her mom, sister, niece and nephew when Zoe (her 8 year old niece) started having a seizure. They had only been on the road for 20 minutes which is sort of a blessing. They pulled over on the expressway and pulled her out of the car as she stopped breathing. They started CPR on her and called an ambulance. The ambulance would take over 10 minutes so they put her back in the car and drover her there themselves. They admitted her immediately and did a CAT scan. The news was shocking. She had something on her brain. They decided to do an MRI as well and on the way to the MRI she had another seizure. The MRI also shows something on her brain. At the moment, she is stable but they have called in a team of brain surgeons to go over the results tomorrow.

My mom's boss is a fabulous woman. My heart aches for her and her family. I knew I just had to make a card and send it to Zoe. I got a new order of stamps from Stampingbella today and what better stamp to use than Ella and LooLoo. Please keep Zoe and her family in your thoughts and prayers while they go through this difficult time.

So much fun!

2008-07-22T13:35:00.008-04:00

A few weeks ago two girls from Cafemom that I chat with and swap cards with were talking about a Bella class they attended. I too, love the Bella's and was eager to join them. I had emailed Christa and Carol about the class and quickly called made arragements to join them for a class. The first one was cancelled because the Bella's weren't going to be there on time. Not a big deal as we were all able to reschedule to a few weeks later. The picture of us (L-R)- Me, Christa and Carol.

Well, I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was to make the almost 95 mile trip! Yes, it was quite a long, boring drive but well worth it. We met at Red Robin for dinner where Carol greeted Christa and I with goodie bags filled with yummy smelling candles, candle holder and a cute notebook. We chit chatted over dinner and then made our way to the scrapbooking store. I walked in and felt like a kid in a candy store. The store is amazing and so is their classroom area. This picture is not even the whole store... Check it out!

The class was 2 hours long and I even learned a new technique! I had purchased the Koh-I-Noor from GinaK Designs but hadn't had the chance to pick up the mineral spirits to use with them so I have been using my blender pens. I LOOVE how the mineral spirits worked with the pencils we used last night and can't wait to use them with my Koh-I-Noor pencils!!! I have to admit that most of my time was spent coloring. I only managed to put one card completely together. How sad is that? Between talking and enjoying the coloring time flew by! Afterwards I was able to shop and picked up a few goodies for my SCS Secret Sister. I sent her first package out this weekend so she should be getting it soon.

Anyway, I had a blast, the food was yummy and the girls were as fun in person as they are online!

I wish I lived closer to them. They were so much fun to hang out with and I hope to head down there again. Perhaps for an all day crop or something and without a doubt...another Bella class!

My future stamper

2008-07-21T12:04:00.004-04:00

Most of the time when I head downstairs to my scrap area in the basement my daughter wants to tag along. It gives us time together and daddy a break. Usually she keeps herself busy coloring, playing in her cozy cottage or with her plethora of Little People. Sometimes she gets bored of that and decides she wants to scrap with mom. I love it when she pulls her little chair up next to me and says "Mommy my turn". She usually wants to play with my paper cutter or the Cuttlebug. A few weeks ago I was making a card for my Secret Sister and needed to pull out my Cuttlebug and she decided that she wanted to play with it too. I look over and she was busy putting one of my birthday cards through the Cuttlebug. Check her out..

Chillin'

2008-07-20T21:16:00.003-04:00

It's been rather hot in the upper 80's to low 90's with 85% humidity. Needless to say, I have been spending much of my time in the air conditioned house. This doesn't necessarly help me in the financial department because the more I'm inside the more I spend! I purchased two sets from My Favorite Things (http://www.mftstamps.com/). I love their stamps and had a hard time picking just two. I've had my eyes on the set "Baby it's Cold Outside" for a while so I grabbed that one. Even though I hate the cold Michigan weather I have an obsession with snowmen. I couldn't resist this set! No particular reason for this card other than I was dreaming of cooler weather!

So many new goodies

2008-07-20T19:06:00.004-04:00

Once again, I've not been able to keep up with my blog. I have gotten so many new goodies in the past few months that I've been busy working on cards and other projects. I ordered some GinaK stamps and I have to say that I'm now addicted! They are so much fun! One in particular set; Owl Always Love You is fabulous. I was browsing the gallery on SCS and came across a card made by Faith (aka Markie's Mom - http://stampinwithmarkiesmom.blogspot.com/ ) and I had to see if I could come remotely close to her card. I gave it a whirl and this is the end result. You can see her card on her blog as well. Her cards are breath taking. The colors are soooo vivid.

Here are the two that I made...

Spinner Card

2008-04-21T21:26:00.004-04:00

One of the groups I'm in posted the tutorial from http://www.chicnscratch.typepad.com/ . I've had her on my favorites for a while now. She's got some of the most beautiful work out there. Any way... I had opportunity to make one today and let me just say.... the tutorial looks A LOT easier than it really is. I managed to have a decent outcome for my first card, but that was only after dragging my husband into my craft area to help me keep my sanity. I was ready to throw my window punch out the window. After wasting 5 sheets of SU! paper trying to make the "perfect" template, I finally got it right.

In the tutorial she punches both the confetti card stock and the designer paper separately. Then she puts adhesive on them and lines them up. I found this extremely dificult using the snail adhesive. I ruined one perfect set trying to line them up. So, I resorted to lining them up together and then punching the slider window out. I wouldn't recommend using a punch on two pieces of card stock... I only used it on these two together since the designer paper is thinner.

I absolutely LOVE this card. It turned out pretty decent for being my first spinner. I love a challenge but this one had me pushin' gray hairs out!

Lots of new things

2008-04-13T19:52:00.003-04:00

I guess I can start of by saying life has been crazy busy for us. I've not had much opportunity to craft for any long periods of time until today. I tried to craft some last night but I just didn't know what to make. I ended up with three cards. Two of which, are pretty basic.

So I guess we can start off with my new stampin' area. It's still a work in progress but I am happy with it for now.

Minnie Mouse Birthday Party

2008-03-09T20:53:00.006-04:00

It's hard to believe that our daughter will be 2 in April. Last year we had a very nice birthday party for her at the townhouse we were renting. We've since bought a house that could definitely accommodate the crowd we had last year. We decided to have it at Caesarland this year and bypass the troubles of cleaning the house from top to bottom, preparing food, and parking woes etc.

Ashlinn has a slight addiction to Minnie Mouse and loves watching the couple of DVDs of Minnie & Mickey a couple hundred times a week. After searching all over to find some cute Minnie Mouse invitations I decided to make my own.

I ran to Hobby Lobby and got the Mickey Mouse punch and the polka dot paper. The rest of the supplies were on hand. I put one together and immediately knew that I wanted to make them. It went fairly fast and only took about 6 hours. Of course it wasn't uninterrupted time. I made 20 invitations and hope that is all I need.

For the inside, I downloaded the Disney font. I am really pleased with the way they turned out.

So Very...(behind)

2008-02-18T22:44:00.002-05:00

Finally, I am back in the swing of things. I hope. My family has been plagued with cold after cold this winter. I haven't made any cards in roughly two weeks and I've missed it dearly.

I am the group owner of a card swapping forum on CafeMom and for one of the swaps I had to make a Mother's Day Card. I've been trying to make it fairly easy for the new beginners so the only requirements for this card was that it said Happy Mother's Day. I cheated and put it on the inside. I also picked some fun, non-traditional colors and designer paper to make it fun.

Monkey Photography - Black & White style

2008-02-03T15:26:00.000-05:00

My latest challenge ... to use only black, gray, silver and white. I've never made a card without color. I didn't think it would be *that* hard until I actually sat down to do it. It wasn't an easy task. I couldn't find a set of stamps that I liked out of the hundred or so that I have. Can you believe that? Finally, I remembered that I had my monkey set and could do a "photography" type card with my new spiral punch. The voting began today and so far ...I'm in the lead. We'll see what the future holds! I put a "cherish" sentiment on there as it reminds me of all the pictures I take of my little monkey and how I cherish them!

Sale-A-Bration... So Many Scallops

2008-01-31T14:22:00.000-05:00

Oh weeee! I was sooo excited to get home on Monday and open my stamps. I just didn't have the energy to stamp. How wrong is that? I managed to squeeze a few minutes in on Tuesday night and have to say, I'm lovin' the So Many Scallops set. I contemplated getting this set from the start as it seemed kinda plain to me. It was the first set that I used, in fact, I haven't had a chance to even use any of the other sets. I can't wait to use this one again and dig into the other sets.

Tonight when I get home, I'll have more goodies waiting for me. I bought a Crop-A-Dile and some other fun toys. As well as the stamp set "Just B". I am willing to bet that I will love that set just as much as I love my "All About U" set. I love how versatile the sets are. With a little luck and a snow storm heading our way tonight, I may be able to get some major stamping done!! Wish me luck :)

Stamps:

* So Many Sallops

* Stem Sayings

CS:

* Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, So Safron

Ribbon:

* Certainly Celery

Buttons:

* Making Memories

Thank You - Military style

2008-01-27T15:01:00.000-05:00

A co-worker called me up on Friday night and asked me to make a special "Thank You" card for her. A colleague of ours did something very special for her family while her daughter and son-in-law were visiting from Alaska. He just got home from Iraq in November. Her only request was something in Army green or along those lines. I remembered Hobby Lobby had some camoflage paper so I picked up a piece and this is what resulted:

Valentine Card Swap

2008-01-15T08:38:00.000-05:00

I joined my very first Valentine's Day card swap. There weren't any requirements that I recall other than it being a V-day card. These two cards are very similar, only the ribbon and hearts/flowers are different. I love this stamp set from SU! It is so versatile.

Stamps: All About U

Paper: Real Red , Basic Black, Whisper White

Designer Paper: Hobby Lobby

Ribbon: Offray Organdy & Gingham

Ink: Real Red, Basic Black

Embelleshments: Making Memories Brads

My first sketch challenge

2008-01-12T01:39:00.001-05:00

The same group I did the Valentine's Day challenge for had a sketch challenge going this week. I haven't had much time this week to play around since my husband was out of town. But, it's Friday and I don't have to do anything this weekend. That only means one
thing... STAMPING!!!

Any way, here are the pictures...one is of the sketch and the other is of my card. I used Barely Banana, Pumpkin Pie and Real Red. The lighting is a bit off down here where I do my stamping so the colors may not come through as they should. It's definitely not the camera as it's a Nikon D-70 and takes beautiful pictures. It may just be the photographer ! *wink*

Simply Said

2008-01-09T23:03:00.000-05:00

I started making these last night but my time grew short and I didn't want to just throw something together. I wanted something that was Valentine-ish but not your mainstream colors. I ended up using SU Old Olive and SU Tempting Turquoise. A few embelleshments from Making Memories as well. Offray ribbon since I've yet to stock up on SU ribbon.

My first card challenge

2008-01-08T18:53:00.000-05:00

I recently joined a group that is having a Valentine's Day card challenge. The requirements for this were that you had to use not just pink and red but black as well. I don't have that many "heart/love/mushy" stamps so this was a bit of a challenge. Here is what I came up with.

You can't tell in this picture but the black heart is actually 3-D. I am not very good yet at taking these kind of pictures. Soon.... soon, I hope!

Time Well Spent

2008-01-05T14:07:00.000-05:00

I've been at it again this morning...I CASED this card but I forgot where it came from.

This card is made from SU's set - Time Well Spent. I used Rose Red and Regal Rose Chalks, and Dashes, Dots & Checks Ribbon along with Black, Whisper White and Regal Rose Card Stock. I used the blender pen on the "Friends" stamp with the Regal Rose and Rose Red chalks.

Oh My!

2008-01-03T17:57:00.000-05:00

I placed an order with Stampin' Up last night for all the stamp pads that I don't have. We're talking a majority of them as I have maybe 15 colors if that. I'm very excited to receive the email that informs me when they've shipped my order. However, I believe because the spring catalog ordering began yesterday it may take longer than normal. :(

In the time being, here is a card that I made at Christmas. Although I see that the top flower was not aligned properly when I took the picture I think you get the jist of it.

Bugs..

2007-12-30T21:16:00.001-05:00

I just received the Pick A Petal set from SU. I've played around just a little bit. I got some inspiration from one of my favorite sites http://splitcoaststampers.com/. The lady bug seemed to be a cute idea and I've seen some very cute cards. Here is my version... the first one was missing something and I'm not quite sure I like that flowers but I went with them anyways. The background seems a little too...white?

Here is another one.... Almost the same concept

except with this one I used a stamp from SU's Garden Whimsy. This one too... needs something else. I just don't know what!

Christmas past...

2007-12-30T21:07:00.000-05:00

Here's a sample of the Christmas cards I made a few weeks ago.

This one I made using a snowman stamp that I'd purchased at Hobby Lobby, SU's Short & Sweet set and misc. paper that I believe I picked up at Hobby Lobby. Although the picture isn't great, I used three different layers of white paper to give the layered snow affect. Along the edges of each layer I used sparkly glitter.

It's been.... quite a while!

2007-12-30T20:57:00.000-05:00

The last time I blogged back in May '07, I was just starting out. Needless to say, looking back at the cards I've posted I've come a long way, baby! I am embarrassed! I guess you have to start somewhere, huh?

In the time that's passed I've become a wanna-be Stampin' Up demo. I say "wanna-be" since I haven't had the time to host a stamp camp or party. Shortly after I purchased the starter kit we decided that it was time to purchase a house. That process consumed quite a bit of my time. As you know with moving, comes packing, the move, painting, unpacking, decorating and yard work. Lots of yard work. Slowly summer passed me by and I only had the chance to unpack my stampin' stuff. Now that winter is here there is much more time to be spent in the confines of my cozy new house. I had the best of intentions to send my handmade cards out for Christmas but I am not ready to let them go just yet. LOL. What is that all about anyway?

So, as Kristin insists...I'm back for as long as I can remember to take pictures and post!

2007-05-02T17:47:00.000-04:00

I finally had some time to make a card yesterday. This one was made for one of my student workers who is graduating from MSU this weekend. It's for a guy so I didn't want it to be too "girly". I was in a rush to get the picture taken so it doesn't appear to show the true green color that it is. In time...I'll get better I suppose...

Slacking

2007-04-30T22:51:00.000-04:00

I've been a neglectful blogger. *sad pouty face* As Kristin pointed out to me tonight, I haven't blogged much. I haven't made anything new. Actually, I have a card "in process" but haven't had a chance to finish it.

That will all change soon. I have to make three cards before Thursday!!

Also....I am on my way to becoming *cough* a SU demonstrator! It's Kristin's fault. She made me do it. Ok, maybe she told me what a great deal it is... and because I love making the cards, I listened to her. (for a change)

One more thing... congrat's to Kristin who now has her very own blog! She makes some unbelievable cards. Her talent is amazing.

Ashllin's 1st Birthday

2007-04-14T20:03:00.000-04:00

April 7th was Ashlinn's 1st birthday. We are having her party on the 15th but we couldn't just let the day pass without having a cake for her. I found a pink one after a trip to two Meijer stores. While the cake looks super yummy, I'd have to agree with Ashlinn when she wouldn't eat it. It tasted nasty. Normally we get cake from Sam's Club but they don't make the small ones. They have the best cake ever!

Any way...Ashlinn wasn't a big fan of the cake. Nor did she like her hands being dirty one bit. In fact I think she got a little mad at me when I made her smoosh her hand into it. She did eat some of it after that but I felt terrible when I tasted it and it was nasty.

Tomorrow's party will feature a sheet cake from Sam's Club and a small one from L&L. Hopefully the small one will tase a whole lot better than the Meijer one did.

Now I leave you with a picture of the pretty but nasty tasting cake from Meijer!

Babies

2007-04-14T16:25:00.000-04:00

One Tuesday, my friend Bethany had a little boy. I made this card for her. He looks just like his daddy and has a full head of hair. It sorta gave me baby vibes when I was holding him. Then I came back to reality and I thought to myself...what the heck are you thinking? Ashlinn is a handful. I can't imagine two kids under two, both in diapers...and if I had another sassy little thing like Ashlinn I think I'd have to commit myself to the loony bin ;)

I remember my mom telling me when I was younger...one of these days, you're gonna have a daughter and she's gonna be just like you. Thanks Mom!!! I think she's just like me, and then some. I think she's got part Poppa in her too! I am gonna say the same thing to Ashlinn when she's older. Maybe that will persuade her from misbehaving!?! (I can dream can't I?

We bought a small 4ft craft table at Sam's club. After Ashlinn's 1st birthday party tomorrow we will dismantle it and move it up to our room where I will finally have a getaway to do my stampin'. I need to buy a ribbon holder since I am running out of room in the drawer that it's currently stored in. One purchase at a time... I am really looking forward to having a place to spread all my crap out though :)

My first card awwwe

2007-04-10T20:20:00.000-04:00

No rhyme or reason... I was just experimenting with my new set of stamps. I'm surely not a complete nazi when it comes to using only one particular kind of product. However, I've reserved myself for Stampin' Up stamps for the time being.

Now I present you my first attempt without my dear friend "K" holding my hand.

Everything starts here...

2007-04-09T13:40:00.000-04:00

I've decided to take the plunge... a blog to share my creations and hopefully in time my work will be as beautiful as others that I've silently stalked their blogs in awe of.

It's kind of a funny story, or rather my version of it is funnier. You see, back in October I received a message on MySpace from a local girl about my age. I checked out her page and decided that she didn't seem too crazy. In fact, in the message she sent me she stated that my profile was pretty much me describing her almost to a "T". I thought to myself, if she thinks she is anything remotely like me...she must be a pretty cool person :) We chatted on IM back and forth and indeed, she was very cool. We got together and even clicked in person. For me, that is an accomplishment of sorts. I have never been able to find that "one" person who completely understands me and my quirks. For the most part though, "K" did. I felt like this was a relationship worth investing more time and energy in. I set out with an open mind and she set out with an agenda as well. She threw me the bait and gradually reeled me in. What is it that she was after to begin with? Clearly my friendship, but perhaps it was something more, the "something more" just wasn't clearly defined at that moment in time. As I reflect on the adventure that I had no prior knowledge of I can now say that she needed someone to feed her addiction a little more. Someone to "Stamp" with. Except, I wasn't into stamping....YET!

I missed the first "Stamp Camp" as my daughter was sick. I'm sure she still thinks I stood her up ...but that definitely wasn't my intention. The next stamp camp rolled around and I told her I wouldn't miss it for the life of me. She taunted me a few times saying I'd probably not show up or give her some poor excuse why I couldn't make this one too. I cleared my calendar for this one. The day comes and I sort of felt like I was making the wrong decision. Like the new kid in the neighborhood. Will everyone laugh at me if I screw up? What if they turn out to be disastrous?? Would she still want to keep me around? Sure there's always got to be that one person who you know puts forth all their effort, but still lacks the creative bone?? I've always loved the cards she's shown me. She's got some great talent. After the stamp camp was over I reflected how I felt. I absolutely enjoyed it. I got out of the house, I got to hang out with other people who enjoyed the same thing and it was relaxing, although for me, it was somewhat very nerve-racking since I didn't have a damn clue what I was doing!!!

From that point on she's slowly persuaded me to dig a little deeper. I found that I really enjoy it and I'm starting to build my stock of stamps up. Next, I need to invest in more supplies. The inks, ribbons etc. I now join the ranks of the very beginners of card making or paper creations, whichever your pleasure.

So... this is where the whole MySpace connection gets sticky. I tease her from time to time that she stalked me out to turn me into an addict like herself. She tells me that that wasn't her intentions at all (while having a *big* smiling grin) Whatever the case may be... I've gained a dear friend, who's an awesome Stampin' Up Demonstrator if I do say so myslef!

Thanks "K"... it is now your fault my young child's college savings will suffer :)