Quick Baby Set

I just found out I am going to be an Auntie again! My brother and sister-in-law are expecting number two in early spring 2008. My nephew is such a little cutie pie...I can't believe I am going to have two little ones to spoil! :)

I made this little set of cards a while back...I did a girl version and a boy version. I ended up using the boy version for a friends shower and didn't take a picture (shame.) So I will share this set in celebration of my brother's news!

These little sets are perfect for showers when you are giving multiple gifts. Keeps everything tied together nicely without all the packages having to be attached to each other.

The large card is 4.25" x 5.5" and the smaller cards are 3" x 3".

Technique: Prisma's and Gamsol
Special information: The seed beads on the flowers are attached using monomulti glue

Details:
Stamps: Bittie Babies (Retired - TAC)
Paper: Striped Paper (unknown) Summer Sun cardstock (SU!) Premium White Cardstock (TAC)
Accessories: Prima flowers, seed beads, Celery grosgrain ribbon (SU!) Mono multi glue, Prisma Pencils, Gamsol, pop dots.

DTGD Challenge Card

Challenge courtesy of SweetMissDasiy and the Dare to Get Dirty Challenge Team. (This link will only work if you are a current fan club member at Splitcoast Stampers.)

I'm pleased with this card. But again I need to work on my photography skills...practice, practice, practice.

I used the Lion from Wild About You (SU!) and surrounded him with leaves from On Safari (Paper Salon.) They are stamped on Premium White Cardstock from TAC. I then punched Amarillo paper from Cosmo Cricket's Halfway Cafe collection using a Giga Scallop Square punch. I took another piece of the Amarillo paper and punched it using the Mega Scallop Square punch. I layered the two punched papers to make a frame (Mega behind Giga,) then attached the lion from the back. The gold wide organdy ribbon is two pieces twisted in opposite directions then layered across the card and attached with sticky tape. The panel on the left is the backside of the Amarillo paper...I love this paper...you can buy it here...Jacksonbelle Embellishments... I layered it on Basic Black (SU!) The tag is made using Paper Tray and Borders & Corners {Rectangles} stamps from Papertreyink. I distressed the edges using the SU distresser tool and attached the tag using Hemp twine.

Other details not covered above: Ink: Lion is So Saffron, Creamy Caramel and Basic Black Stampin' Write Markers. Framed Feel Better Tag is Palette Noir Black. Leaves are Certainly Celery and Mellow Moss.

Bellarina

I really liked this card when I first made it. But it doesn't photograph well at all. The Stardust gelly roll pen that I used to color in some of te swirls and the bodice on the tutu is looking streaky.

Oh Well! I think I am going to use this for Jami's DTGD Challenge over at Splitcoast. If you are a fan club member you will see a Dare to Get Dirty Folder in the Challenge forum. The Fan Club is celebrating it's Third Anniversary this week and the Dirty Girls, Past and Present, are posting challenges for Fan Club Members to do. It's been a lot of fun. And Saturday and Sunday are going to be wild as instead of four challenges per day...there will be EIGHT! How will I find the time to stamp the all??? I can't wait!!

SO I am off to modify this card per Jami's challenge...wish me luck!


Details:
Stamps: Flourishes (TAC), Bellarina (Stamping Bella)
Paper: White Cardstock (Premium White from TAC) Bashful Blue (SU!)
Ink: Palette Noir Black(TAC & others), Pretty in Pink and Blush Blossom Markers (SU!)
Accessories: Narrow white organdy ribbon (SU!) Stardust Gelly Roll Pen (Inky Antics)

I couldn't resist!

I've seen this on a few other blogs and had resisted until today...but if you go to the Google search field and type in your name followed by "needs" without the quotes you will come up with some pretty funny stuff! When I typed in Allison needs this is what I found...

1. Allison needs more good farmers to raise corn, wheat, rye, oats, barley, peanuts, cattle, hogs and sheep. (One can never have enough.)

2. Allison needs a loving home. ( I have this already. Google better update itself, LOL!)


3. Allison needs little help from the beauty shop. (Yeeeeeeeah, riiiiiiiight!)

4. Allison needs at least 22-26 million to deal with her. (I'm high maintenance, but come on!)

5. Allison needs to have a good thermal conduction path between the battery boxes. (Ah, the joy of sharing a name with a transmission manufacturer.)

6. Allison needs a scarf. (Not today I don't, just blistering here!)

7. Allison needs to be Mirandized! (I'm innocent! I swear!!!!!)

Dh will het a kick out of reading this post for sure!

Neat or not?

Are you neat or not? This is what I strive for. Not the most fantastical stampin space, but it is what I have. This room is in the attic and my amazing DH created the space. He cleaned out the attic, built walls, put in the window and a door, provided me with heat, electricity (there is a story there,) carpeting, the whole nine yards. He is awesome! I sometimes feel not worthy, but that only happens for a second and then I move on...LOL!


So, the story about the electricity...I was stamping on Tuesday night...it was late, about 11:00. Remember, I'm in the attic. Well, the power goes out. I live in the middle of the boonies. There is NO light. I put my hand in front of my face, like an inch from my nose, and could NOT see it! The power came back up in like 10 seconds...then it went out again!!! I was paralyzed. I am such a scaredy cat. So I sat there, afraid to move, lest the boogey man would get me. Finally, after another 20 seconds or so the lights came on. Well...I BOLTED down to my bedroom to get my flashlight. Yes, girls, I sleep with a flashlight on my night stand. My children even know not to move it. It is not a toy, it is a life-saving device. So the moral of the story is this...when your DH gives you a stamp room in the attic and tells you, "You really should keep a flashlight up there since you are SO afraid of the dark.", get yourself the biggest flashlight you can find and place it prominently on your desk. :-)

So, all is well, that ends well...you can go and have your chuckle at my expense. Night-night, don't let the bed bugs bite!

No WAY!

Shannon McGann is just too good to me! ;-)



She tagged me with this little ditty. I was shoving my way through tons of personal and work emails when I found her message! I wish Alberta wasn't so far away because I'd give you (((Hugs)))!!!!! :-)

I need to find 5 gals who need this little icon for their blogs...I'll be back with those nominees later on though. I have GOT to go stamp some of those dynamite challenges going on at Splitcoast. Those Dirty Girls are at it again!!

Peek-A-Boo Card!

I love how this card turned out! It is one of the samples I created for a tutorial on hand-stitching that I wrote for A Shade of Blue's Blue Heaven E-Zine. Blue Heaven is a subscription benefit from which the funds go to support the site. It is a very small way to help keep the site running.








I call this style of card a Peek-A-Boo card. It opens like a standard card but there is a little card on the front where you can hide a sweet little secret message.



This tutorial is for a future issue. I'll be sure to let you know when it is published!! :-)

Details:
Stamps: Wild About You (Stampin' Up!)
Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst, Lovely Lilac (Stampin' Up!) Premium White Cardstock (TAC)
Ink: Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Almost Amethyst (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Mega Scallop Square Punch (Marvy Uchida) Embroidery Floss (DMC) Stitched Ribbon (Stampin' Up!)
Misc: Pop Dots

More stuff coming...I promise!!!

I want to apologize for being a naughty blogger!!!

DH surprised me and the kiddies with two weekends away...back-to-back...ok the laundry alone is keeping me away from my stamps...but I have got to get back to business here! Here is a pic of the kids having a great time at Story Land in Glen, NH. We were on Alice in Wonderland's Tea Cup ride.

The kids had a blast, they loved the hotel the most though...it had a zero-entry pool which was just what Zach needed to overcome his horrible fear of the water. Now you'd think he has been loving the water for years, but not so...he wouldn't even go swimming at home with me holding him in a death grip. :D

My Papertrey order came in over the weekend and I have TAC and SU! orders coming in at the end of the week. Plus I have so many other little projects to get done! Ack!!!

Butterfly Birthday

It is inevitable that I get antsy for my PapertreyInk stamps as we approach the 15th of the month. This card uses Butterfly Kisses which is so amazing! I made this card for my sister-in-law. She was an avid gardener until some life events interupted her passion. She had filled her garden with flowers that attracted butterflies. It was wonderful to stand there and watch them flutter about the blooms.

I used Green Galore, Pink Passion and Basic Brown Classic Inks. The cardstock is Pink Passion, and Green Galore (all SU!) The white cardstock is Premium White Cardstock from The Angel Company, it is meatier than SU!'s Whisper White. I like that it lends stability to my cards and other paper projects. It creases quite nicely as well. The ribbon is from Michaels and comes on a wooden spool. I think I bought the ribbon more for the spool than the ribbon itself...I have a project that I need to photograph that uses the wooden spools...Next week sometime for that one though.

We're taking the children to a couple local adventures this weekend. I hope that you are able to enjoy your family and friends and are blessed with what will become happy memories.

"See" you on Monday! :-)

Papertreyink...we're half-way there!!

Do visit Nichole Heady's blog {Capture the Moment} and see today's super-cute sneak peak! I wish I could sleep on it and wake up with the inspiration for this project! Are you getting super excited for the big reveal on July 15th. Don't forget it's at Midnight...so you're really staying up late on the 14th! ;-)

Enjoy!!

I've been tagged! **SHOCK**

I'm in shock! I've been tagged. Since only reviving my blog efforts earlier this week I can't believe that anyone has even been looking on here. I'm enjoying this blogging thing quite a bit actually!

Shannon McGann whose blog is Stamp Till You Cramp! tagged me! You really need to visit her blog...talk about gorgeous artwork!! Shannon is a very talented stamper. Thanks Shannon!! :-)
Oh Wow! I've been tagged!! Still not sinking in...

So I'm going to try to find seven blogs that have not been tagged...at least with this round of tagging. And here are seven random things about me:

1. I am wild about Kettle brand Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper Potato Chips.
2. My right now stamp set is Wild About You (SU!.) Can you believe I only got it yesterday...it's been around for like a year?
3. I am going back to school for Special Education.
4. I didn't get to stamp yesterday or today...maybe tonight if I stay up really late though.
5. I love to be cold! I hate the heat, summer is not my friend. I'm a winter girl for sure.
6. I said no the first 5 or 6 times my husband asked me out when I first met him. (Shameful! He is such an awesome guy too!)
7. I like to eat dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner!

Now to tag seven blogs...

• Peacock Paperie - Megan Peacock
• The ABC's of Stamping - All Becky Stamping
• Sandy's Stampin' Spot
• My Inkspirations - Melanie Robson
• A Paper Garden - Cathy St.Clair
• Angel Stamper - Vicki Hook
• Laurie's Stampin & Scrappin Place

If I tagged you please post 7 random ramblings about yourself in a post on your own blog. Then tag 7 other bloggers, let them know and post them on your blog with your ramblings. :-) Clear as mud??

One last sneak peak today...

As I mentioned in a previous post I am hosting a series of 6 monthly ATC swaps over at A Shade of Blue. I am just about ready to swap out the Summer Fun Theme cards and wanted to share mine. I LOVE the way this one turned out. It is a matchbook card. The base is Sahara Sand. I topped the front flap with Tempting Torquoise cardstock and then punched Green Galore with the Giga Scallop Punch from Marvy Uchida. I bought mine at All That Scraps. The mermaid image is from Wildflower Stamps. I stamped her on Premium White Cardstock from The Angel Company and colored her with Stampin' Up! Stampin' Write Markers. I then punched her out (that sounds funny, doesn't it?) with a Mega Oval Punch (Marvy Uchida.) I finished it off by layering her on the Green Galore and pop dotting that onto the ATC Front. I topped it with Orange grosgrain from Stampin' Up!

I love the way the colors pop on this...I shocked myself! I really like how this one turned out! ;-)

A book, put off until tomorrow

I started this altered chipboard book almost a year ago. It began as a book for me to put pictures of my daughters in...I have another book that is yet-to-be altered for my son's pictures. Anyway, I didn't like the way it was turning out. It was getting too bulky and wasn't closing completely. SO I ripped it apart and starter over. The cover is the original design. I used Memory Makers papers and ribbon, and the stamped image is from Inky Antics. I redid the sketches for the inside pages and will have this book finished by the week-end. But all the details and inside pics of the process are going to be revealed elsewhere as a tutorial. You'll just have to wait and see! ;-)

Papertreyink Sneak Peak...only 4 more days!

Check out Nichole Heady's blog for another gorgeous project featuring the upcoming stamp sets as well as a great tutorial on the Memory Makers Tag Maker!

I can't wait until The 15th!

Sweet Sophia

Sophia, my almost 5 year-old, needed a name tag for her gym bag. There are three girls with the same 5$, Walgreens-purchased, bag. Go figure! So rather than just writing her name on the inside I made this name tag and placed it inside a clip-on badge holder . It needed to be quick, as we had to head out the door. This took about 10 minutes.
Details: Bdge Holder - Wal-Mart office supply section
Patterned Paper - The Angel Company
Ribbon - Stampin' Up!, Michaels
Stamps - Little Letters (Retired) Stampin' Up!, Alpha-hip (Retired) The Angel Company

The Sneak-Peaks Have Started

Oh my gosh! Have you been to Nichole Heady's Blog {Capture the Moment} yet today?? She has started the countdown for the July release of 5, yes I said 5, stamp sets from Papertreyink.com

Nichole has provided a gorgeous sample that gives a sneak peak at the awesome stamp sets, plus some additional information on a pre-order that will begin on August 1st!

And wait until you see how she is storing her scallop punches! You'll want to run out to the store to buy everything you need to make this great rack!

Enjoy!!

Mom always said...

OK, I'm an idiot! My mom always said "Always be careful using the mandolin and ALWAYS use the guard!"

Well, I was using the mandolin last night to make my favoritest potato recipe (I'll get to that in a minute) and you guessed it...I wasn't using the guard. I was just getting the potato sliced down enough so that is had a flat side on it and wouldn't be all wobbly. As I said to myself "Ok, this is the last slice then I'll use the guard." I felt a slice! "OUCH!" (trust me that wasn't the word I chose at the moment it happened! ;-) ) Well, I sliced the tip of my thumb almost completely off. The cut looks like a "D" with the straight part still being attached and the curved part being the cut. Am I gaggin' you out yet? I guess I should have put a disclaimer at the top! Hubby doesn't think I need stitches...but it is still bleeding a little. It hurts like a be-jeepers too!

Anyhow, that was my Sunday night. DH ended up doing all the cooking. And no I didn't slice myself to get out of grill duty.

Here is what we had:
Yummy Teriyaki Steak Tips
My Secret Coleslaw Recipe
Allison's Favoritest Potatoes

Here is the Potato Recipe:

4 HUGE baking potatoes, sliced super thin with a mandolin. Place potatoes on large sheet of tin foil. Drizzle with Olive Oil. Sprinkle with generous amounts of salt and fresh ground pepper (I prefer a pepper medly using black, red, green and white peppercorns.) Cover with 1/2 cup super finely diced FRESH garlic (only fresh will do.) Wrap potatoes with foil and cook on grill over high heat for about 30 minutes (check for doneness before removing from grill.)

The best part about this recipe is that they are great the next morning heated in a fry pan and served with eggs and toast!

Enjoy!

Good Boots

I love the Green Thumb stamp set from Papertrey Ink. My daughters have boots that look just like this one. If they had their way they would wear them every day, too. The sentiment is so true! Don't you just feel better when you have the right shoes on...nothing can get in your way or bring you down.

Details:
Cardstock: Cool Caribbean, Pixie Pink and Whisper White (Stampin' Up!)
Patterned Paper: Certainly Celery (Stampin' Up!)
Stamps: Green Thumb (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Ticket Corner Punch, Grosgrain Ribbon, Brads (Stampin' Up!) Mega Scalloped Oval Punch (Marvy Uchida) Flower (Prima Marketing)

Hello Froggy

Hello!

This little froggy is actually mounted to an ATC that I made for a swap I hosted at A Shade of Blue. I am in the process of hosting six more monthly ATC swaps at ASB. We just finished month three which was a summer fun theme.

Details: Cardstock - White (Premium white from The Angel Company) Cool Caribbean & Mellow Moss (Stampin' Up!)
Patterned Paper - (Pocket Full of Posies Stack from Die Cuts With A View)
Stamps - Frog (Stampin' Up!) Hello (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories - Flower (Prima) Rhinestone (Target $ Spot) Ribbon (Michaels) Mega Scallop Punch (Marvy Uchida)

You're Blessed!

I just love this card! There is a story behind this creation (...isn't there always??) A beloved friend of mine, who was also the paraprofessional in my childrens pre-school has moved to Vermont. I am still reeling from her derparture. Tina is an amazing woman who can reach into the heart of even the most challenged child and come out with gold. My oldest daughter, Adrianna, is a child with many gifts, but she also has challenges that other children will never face. Tina and I met when Adrianna was three, just starting pre-school and incredibly shy. We didn't know at the time, but trouble was brewing behind those gorgeous baby brown's! Adrianna was diagnosed with epilepsy and started to regress intellectually just short of her fourth birthday. Tina was an amazing anchor for our family, and made sure that Adrianna had all the help she needed while in the classroom. She broke through a barrier that other adults inthe classroom were unable to penetrate. Adrianna began to shine like gold.

I made a thank you card for Tina, and she was blown away. Had she never been thanked before? I asked myself. No, it wasn't that. She was wild about the card. (It's so nice to be appreciated!) Well, I continued to make cards for her and the rest of staff that work with my children. Then one day Tina mentioned how all my cards are displayed in her home and that she wanted to start framing them. I was blown away now.

So, in the end, Tina has moved. But as a going away gift I made her a box of cards to send to her friends and loved ones. This card is just one of the 50 unique cards I made for her. And while it is meant to be a baby card it says so much more to me. Tina is blessed, while she isn't feeling that way right now, given the circumstances surrounding her change of address. She is blessed with one of God's greatest gifts...the ability to show love.

Details: Cardstock - (Stampin' Up!)
Patterned Paper - (Stampin' Up!)
Stamps - Lion - (Paper Salon) Curly Frame - (Stampin' Up!) You're Blessed (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories - Scallop & Plain Punches (Marvy Uchida) RIbbon - (Stampin' Up!)

I'm back...what the heck happened??

Where on earth have I been?? Well I dug a little hole and buried myself in it. Right around the time I set up this blog I received some upsetting news regarding my health. Long story short, I am going to be having at least half of my thyroid removed at the end of the summer. I feel fine, a bit tired, but otherwise I'm not feeling ill.

In the meantime, I am gonig to continue with my blog. I am excited to have a place to call my own. I have two internet galleries, the bigger one is at A Shade of Blue , which is my favorite place to talk about paper crafting. You should check it out!! My blog will feature the same artwork, but will include more detailed information about the process behind the creation.

I'll jump right in...more to come later today!