Mail Monday

Made a couple cards this weekend, not too much though because the weather was way too nice to be stuck inside.
This little card is going out to a Blogger, not sure who yet, need to check upcoming birthdays on my list.

The stamp is one of the first stamps I ever bought. I got it at a Scrap show about 6 years ago and maybe used it 2 times. It is a Stamps by Judith.
Used my new pencils again, I am starting to get the hang of it now that I have played with them a bit. The little flower brads were just in my stash of stuff, didn't even know I had 'em until I was looking for an orange eyelet.
Off to the mail slot with this one and a few more.

Seriously...does anyone have any ideas for tracking my RAKs I send and receive because I think the list grows every week! And I want to make sure I am spreading the love and not duplicating, plus sending back to the kind bloggers who have sent something this way.
Any idea is appreciated.

Diet Coke Plus

Have you seen or tried this new Diet Coke?
I have.
I was drawn to the colors on the can, don't they inspire you to make something crafty? And the added Vitamins made me feel good about drinking the already delicious concoction.
I also thought the promise of Vitamins and Minerals would get my righteous son off my back about drinking a beverage that could give me cancer...eek!
He saw it on TV.
See, this is why I don't have cable. Can you imagine what he would learn with basic cable?!!!
One day he promptly told me, "Mom, you can't have diet pop anymore, you could die!"
I promised him that Diet Coke would not be the death of me, what fun would that be? But also took a vow to decrease my use of the harmful material, which I dramatically have. (went from about 15 cans a week to only 5-7!)

After I bought the new and improved wonder soda, I promptly told Max that not only would Diet Coke not be the death of me, but it was now helping me attain my recommended daily dose of vitamins and minerals. And you know how your mother llllooooovvveeessss minerals!
He seemed pleased with the new vitamins and he likes the can as well. Seemed like a happy compromise and brought new harmony to the house.

I unfortunately like the can design more than the actual product.
Seriously, dontcha just love the light teal and red combo?
It is similar to Diet Coke but sweeter. I know that sounds strange for a soda with no sugar, but it is.
So, I think I am back to my trusty Diet Pepsi, but I will keep a few of these little babies in the fridge in case someone is checking my harmful consumption.

Blogger Swaps Thursday!

So, I was in a great swap group with other bloggers and it was great for two main reasons:
1. I only had to make 7 cards.
2. The swappers in the group are amazing crafters!

So every Thursday I will be posting the great cards I received from this swap. I really hope they do it again so I can get some more great cards and learn about a few more bloggers I wasn't familiar with before.

First up is Robin Desko. Her Blog is called Rubber Stamped Reflections. She has MANY wonderful projects on her blog and even a gallery on the left side, love that!
When I got this card, all I could say as my jaw hit the floor was....WOW! There are so many details on this card, I am not sure where to start.
See the vase?? It has added Crystal Effects to give the illusion of water!
You may not be able to see the add paper piercing but there is a bunch!
And the sponged color on all the edges is wonderful.
Thanks Robin for a wonderful card!

EDITED: This card is not Robin's (duh?!!), that's what I get for note labeling them correctly!! I am a total spazz, this card was made by Ana Wohlfahrt, her blog is InkaStamp. A thousand apologies to Ana. The card is amazing and now I am off to make an I'm Sorry card...

This group is completely different from the Blogger RAK (random acts of kindness) Group. That group is open to anyone, you just have to be a member of the RAK group on Splitcoast and then sign up HERE. I have received wonderful cards and made new friends in that group as well.
I am just trying to track my cards, sent and received. It seems people are always joining, which is great, but it put a kink in my current tracking method.

If you are a member of this group or just have a great idea how I can keep it all straight...Please, let me know.

Stampama-Who?

I love my Stampamajig!
I think it is because I am not the best stamper or very good at making things straight. With this handy little tool, I can actually line something up if I want to.

So here is a handy little guide on why you want a stampamajig and how to use it.

Stampamajig Tutorial

Stampamajig is extremely useful if you want to layer stamps or line up words or letters. In this example, I am going to show you how to add a sentiment to the center of a flower, perfectly and easily.

1. Place Stampamajig (the purple piece) flush along the left corner and then stamp lining up to the stampamajig onto the image sheet. The image sheet is that plastic square that comes with it. As you can see, mine has seen better days and should probably be cleaned.

2. As you can see, you now have the image on your sheet all ready to use on as many projects as you like.
3. Now place your image sheet over where you want to stamp the sentiment. I want it in the center of the flower so I have placed it like so...
4. Re-allign the stampamajig to the left of the image sheet. Make sure your image sheet is perfectly placed to where you want to stamp. Sometimes this moves a little in this step.
5. Now carefully remove only the image sheet and stamp, alligning the stamp flush with the left corner of the stampamajig.
6. This is the finished product. The sentiment is right in the center as I wanted.
Here is the finished card.
Without the Stampamajig, I wing it all the time, but it never looks as good as it does with this handy tool.
Besides, I love that word...Stampamajig, that alone made me buy mine 4 years ago and I wasn't even sure how it worked back then.

Card details: Stamps are SU! Big Blooms and Kolette Hall $1 stamp from Michaels, Colors are Orchid Opulence, Lovely Lilac, Eggplant and White, used the Mat Pack for faux stitching, Black Gingham Ribbon and the Slit Punch to make the scallop edge. I used White Signo Gel Pen and Versamark as well.

Another Tag

I was tagged by Joanna (thanks!) to list seven things about myself, so here goes, hopefully y'all still like me after you've learned a little more.

1. I went to Catholic school for 12 years and my high school was not only Catholic but all girls as well and I loved it.
2. I use the sayings "Good Grief","My Word", "Quick like a bunny", and "Goodness" like I am living in the 50s.
3. I talk to all the other drivers when I am driving, critiquing their driving abilities and judging them, very Simon Cowell style.
4. Never been married. (as single as they come!)
5. I have 6 brothers and sisters and 4 parents. I am also the oldest.
6. I nickname everything and everybody, makes it easier to remember things.
7. I refer to carbonated beverages like Coke as soda, not pop and I prefer Diet Pepsi to Diet Coke but will drink anything as long as it is Diet.

I know I am supposed to tag 7 people, but I hate the tagging part...So, if you are reading this...Yeah, YOU!...Consider yourself tagged!
Let me know if you are listing so I can check it out!

More Weekend Aftermath

Bought these....

I had a coupon and there was a bonus set of 12 too! (that's my excuse and I am sticking to it)

Made this with them, my first attempt....
I really stink at the whole coloring thing, but the samples I have seen with these babies on SCS made me think that I too can overcome my coloring disfunction. So I bought 'em.
I swear I heard angels sing when I cracked open the box the first time. The colors made my heart race. I sharpened each one very carefully like they were made of precious jewels and then put the warning out there..."Touch these pencils and you will regret it!"

Came home yesterday and guess who was coloring a picture with my "super special artsy pencils that cost mom too much money"...Yep, he couldn't resist the colors either.
He had a pretty strong defense.
"I was just trying to make you a pretty picture 'cuz I love you."
He knows, always suck up when you are in hot water.

Wanna know how to use these super cool pencils?? Check out the tutorial on SCS and don't forget to see the amazing projects made with them too!

I also got my last set of curtains back from my pal Connie. I neeed to have one pair hemmed and my sewing skillz are just not that great, so I recruited Connie, the master, to help me out. I had the other curtains up and just the middle window naked for about a month and everytime someone would come over they would give me an odd look.
What?
You don't know about the new naked middle window craze?

So, it's nice to have curtains on all the windows and no more odd glares.

I am so lucky to have Connie for a friend because she is probably the nicest most genuine person you will ever meet. Lucky for me and my big mouth, when I ran into her about a year and a half ago, I didn't let not remembering her name stop me from chatting her up. We have been pals ever since.
Thanks Connie...Look, my window is no longer naked!
Oh and see those two plants...I've had them since January and they are still ALIVE!
Amazing!
I kill everything I touch and remarkably all my plants are thriving.
I think it is partially because I named them and I am so scared of killing things with names I am very careful about taking extra good care of them.
Does anyone else name things without a pulse or am I the only one?

Worms and Chicken

I bet that title got your attention.

While I sat on the couch this morning chowing down on a bowl of Frosty Flakes, one eye on the morning news, I had a thought.
"What if we had three day weekends, would we dread Tuesday as much as we do Monday?"
"Mom, if we had 3 day weekends we would have to go to school longer or for more months."
Ugh, always my little nagging voice of reason to pull me back to reality.

I actually felt pretty good this morning, not feeling as much of the hatred I usually reserve for Monday morning because I know I have to report back to my duty as office slave. I think it was the nice weather and limited activities this weekend that helped.
I have found that in recent years the weekends have become more exhausting than the work week because they are jam packed with obligations and errands that really suck all the fun out of our little free time. Don't you?
Well, this weekend the weather was spectacular. We have gone from winter to summer here in the big city and we were more than ready.
Soccer season has started.
Our Saturday mornings are now reserved for soccer for the next 8 weeks and unless it is raining it is a nice way to start the day.

My dad's birthday was Saturday and we ventured north for burgers and cake with the family, which was nice and laid back. Love those kind of family gatherings.
Brought him this card.

This is made with the Bugs and Kisses stamp set. The edges of everything are "dirtied" with Basic Brown ink and a stipple brush. Adds to the whole wormy feel, I think. I had to add the party hats to the little guys, they just weren't silly enough without 'em. He liked it. He likes silly little puns and loved the Fannie Mae we brought along too.

Yesterday we grilled out.
This girl loves her grill!
Max has really gotten into it too, which makes it a team effort and great training for his grillmaster career.
We made this awesome recipe I made last summer too and forgot how fabulous it is. I just have to share. The original recipe is from allrecipes.com (love that site) but I tweaked it quite a bit to achieve the best possible results.
Try it, you won't be disappointed!

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon steak sauce
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

In a small bowl mix all ingredients.
Poke chicken with fork then place chicken and sauce into a ziplock bag.
Leave in fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. (to marinate)
Make another batch of the sauce in the same bowl and reserve in fridge.
When ready to grill, remove chicken from bag, removing some of the sauce.
Do this so that you don't make a mess of the grill.
Place chicken on grill with lid for 5 minutes, flip and cook 5 minutes more.
Flip and brush reserved sauce on chicken and cook 5 minutes.
Flip and brush the other side, 5 minutes more.
Final minutes, place chicken over direct fire with grill open.
Chicken takes 20-25 minutes til juices run clear.

Yummy!
Trust me, this is delicious. I even made extra so that I could have a nice salad with tasty chicken for lunch today.
Anyone with great grill recipes....Pass 'em this way.

I got a Good Report Card!

Yep, that's right, I got a good report card.
Well, really Max got the report card, but it mentioned his parenting as a direct result of his success...so I figure I got an 'A' in parenting.

I had conferences to pick up the report card the other night and sure enough, my son is now an honor roll student. I can now proudly sport an annoying bumper sticker proclaiming to the world that my child now has B and higher grades! Yes!

I am so proud of my little guy. He has worked super hard for years to get to where he is and even his teacher made a point to tell me it was all him (and a little bit of me pushing him). Max has been in special ed since he was in preschool and to go from the school just shaking their heads not knowing if he would make it out of 2nd grade to the top of the class, is truly remarkable. And he did it at a brand new school where he actually had to "catch up" to the rest of the 5th grade.

His teacher told me that Max is his first student technically in special ed to make the honor roll in 5 years he has been at this school.
So, yes, I am super proud of my little guy!
Now planning which Ivy League College he will be getting a scholarship to.

Thanks to everyone for your great advice about the card situation. I guess I just fear that if I send it to someone who isn't crafty it will just validate their sense of "Oh, there she goes with paper and glue again" mentality.
The card may be off to someone very soon, so don't be disappointed it is not my fav, it was still made with love! Pure paper love.

The card today was made with SEI papers, I think it was called Aunt Gertie? I bought it a million years ago when I first started working at Archivers and couldn't resist buying something everytime I worked because of the incredible discount.
Well, I bought it.
And there it sat til about 2 days ago.
Yep, paper I bought at least 4 years ago.

So, what do you have just sitting on a shelf or in a box that you loved when you bought it and haven't used for years?
Pull it out.
Let's see what you got and how old it is.
And what you can finally do with it.

Tag! I'm It!

Ok, so I was tagged by Jo and Kathy and couldn't be more flattered to be a blog favorite and yes, Kathy I am sure if we met we would be instant friends.
I think I am pretty much the picture I paint in my blog, Greta and Elizabeth agreed to stay with me based on my blog attitude and now we are the bestest of pals. (right?!!!!)

So, my task, to name 5 of my favorite blogs.
I noticed it didn't say crafty or stamping or scrapping blogs so I am going to venture outside that realm because it seems like every great blog has been tagged and there are so many non-craft blogs that inspire my life and my crafts that are really worth a look-see.

1. Dooce - Her writing is amazing as well as her pictures. I love her honest attitude and she really cracks me up.
2. Design Sponge - There are so many great ideas and color combos on this blog, I am truly inspired.
3. Waiter Rant - These stories about waiting tables are truly entertaining and so well written I would easily read an entire book if this guy wrote one. Truly wonderful.
4. She Finds - I am so not a girly-girl, so I need any sort of fashion, hair makeup advice I can get. This is the place to find the latest and greatest as well as a deal.
5. Go Fug Yourself - This is where I go for all my celeb gossip and unflattering pictures of beautiful people. Most everyone knows about this blog, it's truly one of the best for celeb chatter.

I have a TON of crafty blogs in my list of blogs I love, so please know that the majority of blogs in my long list are craft related, just thought you might like a little variety. I hear it is the new black.

Question for All You Craftees

Ok, so last night I wanted to make just a simple little card, nothing to challenging, just for fun. I wanted to use some of the scraps that are sitting in a little bucket on my table to feel a little better about using up my scraps, but nothing more. No particular project, idea, person...nothing.
I hadn't made anything for a couple days and if I go to long without creating something I lose my mojo.
I didn't want that to happen again.
So I made this card.

And after it was all finished, I really didn't like it at all.
I don't think it is very good and I definitely wouldn't show it off to anyone.
In fact I am not sure I will even send it to anybody.
That's how much I dislike it.

So my question and I want an honest answer here...
If you make a card you really don't like, what do you do with it?

Send it to someone anyways?

Give it away to a donation?

Tear it apart and use the bits on another project?

So chime in here, leave me your answer, I really want to know and it is a great time to come out of the lurking shadows and make yourself heard.

(disclaimer: this post is in no way intended to be a way to fish for compliments or give myself a good 'ol pat on the back, I want your honest opinions here, really! Seriously, don't even think about posting about this particular card you see here....don't do it!)

Also, my blogging buddy, Donna, is giving away some goodies over on her blog...You don't want to miss out! All you have to do is leave a little comment about the best thing you ever won. Most people know that for me it was that pink Chatterbox trunk at CHA...Seriously, I never win and that prize couldn't have been better.

The Bachelor is Killing my Monday Night!

Besides The Office, there are very few shows that I religiously watch that come on before 9pm. That's bed time in our house and the only time I am truly able to give the television my full attention and actually follow any sort of story line.
We don't have cable. (everytime I say that people gasp...I hear ya!)
So, my choices in viewing are very limited.
Monday nights was my night to watch What About Brian? That was my Monday show. I love it.

Well, it seems that the Bachelor has invaded my 9pm spot on ABC and I couldn't be more upset about it.
I don't watch the Bachelor. I have watched one season when Andrew Firestone was on because I just thought he was such a cutie, but after that I really had no interest in the show, no one ever married from it except that Trista chick.

So last night, with nothing to watch in my 9pm slot, I was watching the Dateline special on the Virginia Tech shooting. The more I watched the more upset I was feeling about the whole thing, scaring myself at the whole thought of schools not being safe. I had to change channels.
I flipped to the Bachelor and watched for only 15, maybe 20 minutes. He kissed like 4, maybe 5 chicks in the time I had it on.
Does no one else find this icky?
Am I the only one that watched the Bachelor last night and thought....ewwww.
Hugging is one thing, but keep your lips to yourself dude.
Sure, I didn't see him slip everyone the tongue or anything but I still think that was totally gross.

He needs a new time slot, maybe 8pm.

I can't handle the male slut. Seriously.
How long does a season last?
I hope not long.
Sheesh.

Sorry for the rant, had to get that off my chest....Will post a new card later.

Friday's Here! Friday's Here!

So, I am heading off to college to visit my baby bro again and party like I'm 19 or it's 1999...either would be good.
My baby bro and I are pretty tight. He and I are most alike compared to my other 5 siblings. And truly he is the sweetest and a really great brother. My little Max just idolizes him and it is a good thing because he is a great guy.
My sister and I are traveling together for this quick overnight trip and we are going without the kids. (can you hear my excitement?!!) Everytime we go down to visit my brother(s), I used to have two brothers at school together, we always cook a big meal for all their friends and get to hang with the college folk. Well, this time, and it is a first, there will be no domestic work done by the sisters at all!! YAY! I am looking forward to just hanging out with the little bro and not trying to feed an army.
We were also excited to go out on campus, because there will be no small children with us, but we heard that it is Mom's Weekend down there, so I suspect it will be a repeat of 1988.

Let me explain...
You see, in 1988, I went to live at my dad's for the summer because I had a high paying job on an army base for the summer that included sick and vacation pay. While I was gone my mother had Nate. When I returned, the neighbors suddenly see this 16 year old girl and a brand new baby. Well, needless to say, they thought I was an After School Special come to life.
As time went on and I was very involved in bringing up Nate, the whispers continued.
I think the entire neighborhood was pretty convinced that we had a big cover up going on.
In fact, my prom date thought for sure he was my kid because not only is he way lighter skinned than my mom, but in 1990 at the ripe age of 2, he had started calling me Mom.

So, although I am sure I will have a fun time, I just hope no one mistakes me for his mom!

I know I promised a sneak peek at my Blogger Swap cards, but I think we are waiting to post. So, for fear of getting booted from a great group, I give you another card.
I used the 1 3/8 square punch to make the rectangle. Love those punches. And the stamps are from the Polka Dot sets in the Spring Mini. The background was stamped with Versamark and then I added white centers with the White Signo Gel Pen.
Yes, my Happy is totally not straight. Just adds to the handmade goodness, right?!!
Colors...Cameo Coral, Bordering Blue, Barely Banana.
Have a Great Weekend.

How Happy Are YOU?

Excuse my wild tangent for a moment, it's just the way I get sometimes....

I admit I am a closet Oprah watcher. I don't watch every episode but every once in a while she has something on as I am flipping the channels late at night that catches my attention and I admit I may spot for a bit and watch. But as soon as she gets on her righteous horse I am fast to hit that clicker.
The other day while I was home making swap cards, I had her on in the background, just listening really when I heard them talking about Happiness. They were discussing research from U of Illinois where they studied happiness and this guy who has dedicated his life to researching it, even wrote a book.
I had to stop.
There was a quiz involved.
I am a sucker for quizzes.
I didn't score very well.
And the second I heard this in the show I had, what Oprah would call, a lightbulb moment!

Dr. Holden says the key to being happy is overcoming "destination addiction," which he defines as "living in the not-now."

"It's always about tomorrow, so you're chasing 'more,' 'next' and 'there,'" he says. "You promise yourself that when you get there, you'll be happy. And I promise you, you won't, because you'll always set another destination to go for."

OMG... that is Me!!!
I am a planner, goal oriented person, always have been. Always thought that was making me prepared for life and thus happier, but apparently I have been going about it all long. The way I thought life should go way back in my younger years never happened for me, doesn't mean I am not happy, but I never let it go.
If you are like me, and please tell me someone else is like me, apparently I need to...

"We have to learn to let go of our past, we have to give up all hopes for a perfect past. Let the past go, it's gone."

Mental note: Live in the Now!
Got it!
This has been rattling in my brain for a couple days now and I couldn't stop thinking about it. If someone else wants to take the quiz, it's HERE. Forewarning, it may stick with you for a couple days!

One little happiness that came my way this week was this great card from Donna Baker! Thanks Donna for such a pretty card, the colors are wonderful together and I love love love that it says "you're fabulous". Also, thanks to your hubby for picking my name.
You can check out her blog Serenity in Stamping, she has great samples and she lives in Austin, TX which is where my best bud lives so maybe one day we will meet up!

Working at Home...I'm Lovin' It!

The passover holidays combined with recent construction in my new office has given me a chance to work at home a few days and I am loving it.
It couldn't have come at a better time either. I got all my swaps done and mailed off today, yay! I have kept the house pretty darn clean for days in a row with a kid in the house, no easy feat! And I got to see Martha two whole days in a row, unfortunately she has not been very crafty the past couple days.
I LOVE working at home, especially this morning when the weather was not very kind for drivers or commuters.
I also made my way out to the mall briefly today after the post office to return something before my 30 days expired, tomorrow. I was so happy to see that I can now buy some Bling for my teefs at a kiosk in the mall. That's right! You can now buy yourself a *grill* in the middle of the Harlem Irving Plaza.
I wanted to get a little closer to inspect them and get a photo, but I knew that I would be attacked by the high pressure kiosk sales clerk and I just didn't want to deal with her through my hysterical laughing.

Yes, my girl, Greta, is absolutely 100% correct...I am my very worst critic. I had cards done for this SCS Blogger Only Swap I joined a million years ago last week and just didn't think they were of the high caliber that they should have been. So I sent them out to some other bloggers and made all new cards.

This is the original swap card. The little bug is from Bugs and Kisses and I can't get enough of that patterned paper, I am on my second pack and it is almost gone, again!
There is a little message inside that pulls out, as you can see from this photo ------->
But it just needed more and I really didn't want to deal with the glitter again, I just got done sparkling from the last time I pulled it out.
Tomorrow....details on the new swaps.

Another Bloom for Tuesday

I am loving the Big Blooms stamp set, I can't get enough of the big flowers!
This card really challenged me because I rarely make a card with primary colors like this and after it was all done, I think I will be using these colors more often.

I am finishing up some swap cards for a blogger swap I joined quite a while back. In typical spazz fashion, I made a set for the swap last week and then decided it just wasn't good enough. So I sent out all those cards to other blogger buddies and started over. I like to create my own stress, apparently.
No problem though because I am working at home today due to some new construction at my office, so I have all morning to come up with something fabulous and make 7 of them.

Last week, one thing I did check off my list was getting my pictures developed that have been just hanging out at home for a few months. Because I am still living in the stone age and using film (I just heard the entire cyber universe gasp), I have to make plans to drive quite a ways from my house and get them developed and thus, I tend to wait a while.
Usually I wait so long I can't remember what is even on the film!
I know, I know...Get a digital camera for goodness sake. I will, eventually, when I sell a body organ or win the lottery.
Well, in the stack of pictures I got back were these babies of my little Max at his Ballroom competition back in February. He was in a program at his school similar to the Mad Hot Ballroom or Take the Lead movies and went on to compete for the city championship.
This was the first round of competition and for his school the last as well. They were completely adorable all proper and dressed up and Max can really dance now, so that his a plus that will come in handy for him at many weddings when he is older.
He took the program very seriously and practiced his little heart out, I am so proud of my little guy and you can clearly see his determination in these shots.
And as a plus, he told me it will help him with the ladies...Oh sheesh!

Hoppy Belated Easter

Hope everyone had a lovely Easter that was a little more Spring-like than the gloomy 40 degrees we had here. We made up these eggs ala Martha this year because the boy wasn't around to color eggs this year, my mom and I tried out this way cool technique I saw Martha do and just had to try. Our first attempt, not too bad but we know better for next year!
The little painted pot I made last week while I was all alone. It is painted with white acrylic paint and then stamped with classic ink using the Big Blooms stamp set. Still needs a few more touches, so more details will come after I tweak it just a bit.

Woke up early this morning, heard "It's too early, I don't wanna!"
Got out of the shower and promptly stepped on 4 poofs of Kix cereal.
Then looked over to see spilt milk all over the kitchen table.
As I left this morning I got my daily dose of where are my house keys.
Yep, the kid is back, no doubt!

Paisley Folds Card

The week has flown by faster than the blink of an eye. (hey, I rhymed!)
Without Max around to keep me on schedule, I completely wasted all my free time doing a whole lot of nuthin'. I got some projects done and very little cleaning, although there is very little to clean when you don't have a child, and I got some much needed rest. Probably too much which is why I didn't get enough done on my To-Do list.
This card is another of my nearly a contest entry bunch and it is way cooler in person, the colors just aren't as good with my camera.
I love the paisley on this card, it really "makes it".
Here's how you can make it:

Step 1: Cut cardstock base, in this example it is Not Quite Navy, to 3.5 x 11 and score at 6.25".

Step 2: Cut the inside piece, in this example Confetti White, to 3 x 6 and score at 3".

Step 3: Using the flower from Big Blooms, stamp onto Ruby Red using Versamark and cut out.

Step 4: Stamp Flower onto Barely Banana with Barely Banana ink and cut out inside of flower.

Step 5: Glue Flower together.

Step 6: Cut out Chocolate Brown square 2.75 x 2.75, use tag punch on two corners.

Step 7: Stamp Not Quite Navy with Paisley BG Stamp using Versamark and this method:
First place the front of the card down on an inked BG stamp.
Then, use a piece of scrap paper in between the card.
Fold over the back of the card as seen in the picture.
Then, using a bone folder, smooth over the entire piece to get a good impression, be sure to push firmly and over the entire piece.
This method will stamp the front and only the front of your card and without a sticky Versamark residue on your hands.

Step 8: Cut a strip of patterned paper for the right side of the card, my sample uses the striped paper from the Friends and Flowers Scrappin Kit.

Step 9: The assembly. Glue the Chocolate Chip Square to the front of your Confetti White. Glue your flower to the Chocolate Chip. Add a tag and button to your flower if you want.

Step 10: The card assembly. Add the Confetti White Mini Card to the base and they should overlap as seen in the picture here. Make sure to leave 1/4 to 1/2 inch on the left side so that the base color shows on the left of the white mini card.

Step 11: Add the photo anchor, be sure to check your placement of the anchor before you make the whole because it needs to reach the white mini card to hold it shut. I learned this part the hard way...Duh!

Voila! Finished card. This card fits into the Small Open End Envelope.
This little baby is on its way to a birthday girl and I hope she likes it.

My Latest Pest of an Idea

Had this idea for this card for weeks, maybe a month. Anyone else do that? Have a great idea in your head just waiting to be created and then depending on how long it takes you to actually try and make it, it can start to really bug ya? Or that sketch in your head that you remember clear as day but forget your grocery list?
Maybe that's just me.
Well, here it is, a Vellum Tag Window Card. I have had these tags in my collection for well over a year, don't know what I was saving them for, but I finally found a cool new way to use them.
I stamped my Tag with a Burst into Bloom flower stamp using White Stazon on. Left it alone for a while as I constructed the rest of the card. Usually my impatience smears a great Stazon image but I managed to keep myself busy trying to make a suitable base.
The card is 4.25 x 11, I scored it at 1" and 5.5". I used my Paisley background to stamp the Cool Carribean in the center, kinda hard to see in the photo but it is there and makes a HUGE difference in the design of the card. The corners of the Carribean were punched with the Tag corner, it makes it look like it is tucked into the white without all that work. The white grosgrain ribbon was embellished with my Turquoise marker and a ruler. Love that!
Used my circle punch to make the window in the card.
The inside of the card is where the "magic" happens. Inside is a 4 x 5.25 piece of Cameo Coral. The inside coral should be a bright one so that it can shine through the vellum tag.
I used a photo anchor from the Hodge Podge Hardware (another supply I hoard) to keep the card shut.
In the picture it is hard to see how well the color shines through the vellum, but it really does and there is also a little Hello stamped in the lower right corner on the front of the card with White Craft that is clearly visible in person, but not in this photo.
The inside piece of Coral was also splattered with ink from a reinker to make it just a little more interesting and not as "flat". You can't really see it in the photo but it's there. My trusty 'ol toothbrush helped me with that one and my bathroom sink was covered in Cameo Coral.

I am enjoying my alone time but realized how if I don't have someone to yell at about taking out the garbage, I can't remember it is garbage day! Duh.
I have made a ton of cards and projects, just working away watching what I want on TV or playing my own music and making a huge mess. You gotta make a mess to be creative, right?

Happy Monday!

Now that I am back among the living, I am crazily trying to get all caught up. Amazing how life can spiral out of control when you check out for a few days.
First, I wanted to send out a huge Thank You to Melissa LaFavers for this great RAK card she sent me. I got it at the height of my illness and didn't even open the envelope for 2 days and then I just realized yesterday that there was a note on the back....Duh!!
I love how the card slides out and the peek-a-boo windows, just a perfect design. Melissa is Hazy over on SCS, but I see she has no gallery...Huh? She should because I bet she has many more of these fabulous ideas.

Being sick couldn't have come at a worse time in my grand scheme of life. I had been working on a big contest entry when the plague wiped me out and because I had procrastinated so much, as usual, I couldn't finish the last few things.
Upsetting?
A little.
But I never get sick, so maybe it was a sign.
I took it as a sign.
So this page never had a chance to win. Everything is from the Friends and Flowers Scrappin kit. The flowers stamped on the edge with White Craft ink and embossed with White EP are from Seeing Spots. And the words in the journaling that are stamped as from Amazing to Zany. The small letters, spelling out Sisters, on the big flower diecut sticker are from the Alphabits stamp set and punched with the 1/4 in. circle punch.
The scalloped trim around the picture was made with the slit punch and the edges of the patterned paper were punched with the Tag corner punch.
More of my "almost a contest entry" projects coming soon.

Big News over at Stampin' Up!! Especially these new stamps that make my heart jump. Love them.

Had a great weekend recuperating. Saw Blades of Glory...Hysterical!, love the Will Farrell. Went out for Irish grub for my little sister, Stephanie's 25th birthday. Can't believe she is that old already, makes me feel older. Ate at Hot Doug's again for the second weekend in a row to help out my brother with his film project. We missed some key elements the prior week, so we had to go back to get a few photos and ate an Elk sausage. Doug's is known for their dogs, crazy sausages and amazing duck fat fries. It was delicious, but I have had my fill of hot dogs for a while.

I am living the single girl's life this week. Max is on Spring break and spending the time bonding with his dad. Plus, my boss is out of town til April 12th, so I am truly on a vacation. All this time to myself! Think I needed it bad. I was in dire need of a break from some of life's everyday stress. I am looking forward to the little things, like not making dinner or making what I want for dinner. Or scrapbooking all day with no one needing any attention. No homework. No whining or complaining. And no typing reports all day at work. And a clean house that stays clean for more than a couple hours.
Ahhh....this is the life.
I am sure that as usual, after about 3 days I will be bored due to lack of stress and responsibility, but for now, I am in heaven and can't wait to get a list of things done and get a little ME time. I deserve it and it is long overdue.
Happy Monday!!