The Road to a Friend's House

Here's a simple little card I made using the Bugs and Blooms stamp set by Memory Box. You can find this stamp set as well as the Memory Box Homespun Collection cardstock, the Memento Tuxedo Black Dew Drop ink pad and May Arts ribbon at Stamper's Dream. Have you seen this stamp set? It is just the cutest. . .that is, if you like bug images! I, of course, just LOVE the ladybug! The sentiment is by A Muse.

We're just getting back from vacation, so I'm trying to go through emails and respond to any of you who have sent messages. If you don't hear from me in the next day or so, please send another email as yours may have gotten lost in the shuffle. Also, if you do need an answer to a question, please make sure there is a way for me to contact you. If it's a general question, I can easily answer that here, but questions that need a more detailed or specialized answer are easier to respond to email to email so I make sure I've answered your question completely. Thank you! :)

Here is a question that Karen left for me that I thought might help others as well.

Karen Marek has left a new comment on your post "Too Hippy?": I am looking at the tutorial on SCS but it seems different than yours. Did you cut the giraffe's legs off the original card and just have it on the piece that you attached. If that is true how did you do it. After I saw this post, I went over to Gina K and ordered this set. Way too cute.

Thanks for your question, Karen! The answer is YES, I cut out the whole giraffe's behind and mounted it on the panel on which I stamped JUST the giraffe's head/neck. You might want to check out the tutorial I wrote for a tilt card right here on my blog. It uses the same stamp set, but the hippo instead of the giraffe. It might be easier to understand since it's the same premise of the "behind" moving instead of just the skirt as in the SCS tutorial. Hope that helps! Let me know!

Hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday! Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Bugs and Blooms (Memory Box), sentiment (A Muse); Paper- Homespun Collection (Memory Box); Ink- Wild Wasabi (SU), Summer Sunrise (Papertrey Ink), Burnt Umber (Palette), Tuxedo Black (Memento); Accessories- Peony Dew Drops (The Robin's Nest), ribbon (May Arts), paper piercer, Copic marker

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you and your families! I wish you a healthy and happy year filled with peace and prosperity. Happy 2008!

SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Changito Love Balloon (Stampendous), sentiment (A Muse); Paper- Black, patterned paper (DCWV), white (Georgia Pacific); Ink- Palette Noir; Accessories- glitter glue, large oval punch (SU) Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre markers(Copic), sequin stars.

Simple Christmas

Well, I've been saying I better get started on Christmas cards for a while now. I was just starting to think Christmas cards just weren't going to happen for me this year. . .and then I got to play a little yesterday. If I had a chance AT ALL to get cards stamped, written out and mailed, they would have to be very simple. Here is one of the cards I came up with. I've had this snowflake punch for a while and haven't really used it much. I punched it out and mounted it flat on the card. It's kind of neat because it really looks like it was dry embossed. I added some silver glitter glue dots to add some sparkle. The sentiment is by A Muse. The card was still looking a little too plain for me, so I added the scalloped bottom with some silver paper from the DCWV Metallic Stack. Hopefully I can get a little mass production going today! I have another card I was playing around with, but I don't know if it will come together. If it does, I'll be sure and show you that one too! Hope you all are doing well with your Christmas cards if you're making them! Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- A Muse Artstamps; Paper- Georgia Pacific White Cardstock, silver (DCWV Metallic Stack); Ink- Silver; Accessories- slit punch, silver glitter glue, Marvy snowflake punch, white organdy ribbon (Darice).

Featured Stamper: StampOwl

This was for the last Featured Stamper Challenge on SCS, to CASE StampOwl! The thing I love most about the Featured Stamper Challenge is that you get to check out an entire gallery of someone you may have missed with their daily posts. StampOwl's gallery is just awesome and it was very hard to choose a card to CASE. I finally decided on this card. I thought it was so pretty and soft, and the main image reminded me of this Bitzy Bug that I just got. . .I thought it would be a nice subsitute. So, I changed the stamps and the colors of the card. Hope you like it! Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Ballerina Bitzy Bug (C.C. Designs), sentiment (A Muse); Paper- Christmas Glitter Stack (DCWV), Whisper White (SU); Ink- Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Basic Black (SU); Accessories- brads (Making Memories), polka dot organdy ribbon (Doodliedoo), ticket corner punch (SU), blender pen, corner rounder.

Color Challenge

This was for last week's Color Challenge on SCS, to use Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi and Ruby Red. I've had this Bella for a LONG time and haven't ever used her! Can you believe that? I thought this festive color combination would work well for her. I paper pieced her dress, boots and hat. The rest was colored with a blender pen and ink pads. The sentiment is by A Muse.

Well, today is my last day of being pregnant! It hit me EARLY this morning when I went to the hospital for my blood work. I just can't believe that by this time tomorrow, my belly will be "not so round". :) I've got a lot of last minute things to finish up today, so I'd better get going! Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Merrybella (Stamping Bella), sentiment (A Muse); Paper- Wild Wasabi, Ruby Red, Soft Sky, Whisper White (SU); Accessories- star brads (Oriental Trading), Cuttlebug Spots & Dots folder, corner rounder, ribbon (American Crafts), Stardust Stickles., blender pen.

FS35 How Sweet It Is

This was for yesterday's Featured Stamper Challenge on SCS, to CASE SweetMissDaisy. If you haven't ever checked out Anna's gallery, it is a MUST! She creates some of the most beautiful cards. Her coloring is absolutely amazing! I chose to CASE this card of Anna's. I changed the stamps and the colors. . .but I kept the bags! LOL I really love to paper piece. I don't do it a lot, but when I do I usually always like the results and it saves you from coloring! :) Besides, I think it's a really neat effect when the "shirt" or something in the focal image matches the background paper. Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you're having a wonderful day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Teddybella, sentiment by A Muse; Paper- Certainly Celery, Whisper White, DCWV pink and patterned paper; Ink- Palette in Noir, Certainly Celery, Creamy Caramel, Bordering Blue; Accessories- paper piercer, blender pen, Apricot Appeal and Blush Blossom markers, polka dot organdy ribbon from Doodliedoo.

Beate's Weekend Sketch #17

This is for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge. I had trouble deciding which stamps to use for this one. I thought about what I hadn't used in a while and thought the Changito stamps by Stampendous would work! I just love this little monkey playing the guitar. The sentiment is by A Muse and the patterned paper is Basic Grey Phat Chance and Pherris Wheel from the Phresh & Phunky Collection. I was resisting the urge to make this card square. There just seemed to be too much space. . .especially on top. Then I added the faux stitching and the circles with the brads to go with the patterned paper and it evened out the card a bit. Check out the cards that Lori, Jenn and Sharon have created too! They are ALL awesome! So, head on over to Beate's blog and give the sketch challenge a try! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Changito Guitar by Stampendous, sentiment by A Muse Art Stamps; Paper- pink, green by The Paper Company, Whisper White, DCWV chocolate, Basic Grey Phat Chance and Pherris Wheel from the Phresh & Phunky Collection; Ink- Basic Black; Accessories- Prismacolor pencils, gamsol, stump, green grosgrain, paper piercer, Old Olive marker, small oval punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1" circle punch, Making Memories brads, Circle Coluzzle.

Featured Stamper

This was for yesterday's Featured Stamper Challenge on SCS, to CASE Jen 70! Jen has an amazing gallery with so many wonderful cards to choose from! I chose to CASE this card of Jen's. I changed the stamp set and colors, but kept the layout and sentiment. If you haven't checked out Jen's stuff, you can see it in her SCS gallery, or on her blog, Stamping Therapy. Congratulations, Jen! I just LOVE your work! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Priceless, sentiment by A Muse; Paper- Cutie Pie DS, Basic Black, Whisper White; Ink- Bashful Blue, Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi, Basic Black; Accessories- ribbon from Doodliedoo, paper piercer, black marker, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Making Memories brads.

Bashful Cocoa

This was for today's Color Challenge on SCS, Bashful Cocoa, to use Bashful Blue, Close to Cocoa and Certainly Celery. I decided to use a couple of texture plates today since I don't really use them much. For the card base, I used the Fiskars Waves texture plate, and for the Close to Cocoa piece of cardstock, I used the Sizzix Texturz Wacky Sparkles plate. I sanded both of them to try and bring out more of the embossing. The image and sentiment stamps are both by A Muse. Just a fun, simple card. I was happy I got to stamp today since I've been too busy to keep up with the challenges. I can't complain, though, because we've been a GOOD kind of busy. :) Lots of fun summer outings and time spent with family and friends. Have a great day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- A Muse; Ink- Basic Black; Paper- Close to Cocoa, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Whisper White; Accessories- Prismacolor markers, Making Memories brads, Fiskars Waves Texture plate, Sizzix Texturz Wacky Sparkles plate, paper piercer, ticket corner punch.

Jenn's Dirty Dare Challenge

This was for Jenn Balcer's Dirty Dare Challenge on Saturday, to make a card using a cheerful color combination. The more I'm challenged to use the Bold Bright color family, the more I like them. I know I say this every time I use orange, but I NEVER use Only Orange. My oranges are in the Earth Elements family. More muted. Every time I see a bold, bright card that someone made, I LOVE it. I just don't know why I stay away from the Bold Brights. Anyway, this layout was just very simple. I used my Cuttlebug Swirls folder on the base of the card and added some paper piercing on the green layer. The sentiment is by A Muse. Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Garden Whimsy, sentiment from A Muse; Paper- Only Orange, Real Red, Wild Asparagus green, Whisper White; Ink- Only Orange, Real Red, Green Galore, Old Olive, Basic Black; Accessories- paper piercer, ribbon from Doodliedoo, Cuttlebug Swirls folder, Making Memories brads.

Happy Birthday!

Today we are going to a 1 year old birthday party. I had this card left over from the Sketch Challenge the other day. Since I had to cut the paper for the background, I had these pieces left that worked for another card. The sentiment is by A Muse and I thought it would work perfectly with the Little Lady stamp set from Papertrey Ink. I'm sure the 1 year old won't really care about the card, but I think her mother will really like it. :) This one year old is Arwen's BFF (Best Friend Forever). They were born exactly one week apart, so my friend Melanie and I have always called them BFFs. I can't believe my baby will be 1 on Wednesday! I swear it was just yesterday that I had her. Time sure does fly, and I know I'll be thinking this same thing when the new baby comes in November. Hope you have a great day. Thanks for visiting! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Little Lady stamp set, Papertrey Ink, A Muse sentiment; Paper- Palette O'Prints, Whisper White, Basic Black; Ink- Rose Red, So Saffron, Basic Black; Accessories- Stardust Stickles, hole punch, May Arts ribbon.

Going Yo Yo

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

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