Birthday Smooches

My stampin' club met this past weekend and we had a great time!  I was so excited to show off some of the new DSP and stamps from the 2012/13 catalog!

This is one of the three projects we created.  I absolutely love the Memorable Moments stamp set! Such an easy way to make a birthday or anniversary card more personal!

The red buttons on my card are retired.  This way the ladies in the club could have their choice of the flower shaped buttons from the brights button collection. Plus it was good excuse to use some of my older SU buttons!!

Card Recipe: Cardstock- tempting turquoise, daffodil delight, whisper white, Summer Smooches DSP, Ink- stazon black, tangerine tango, Stamp Set-Memorable Moments, Accessories-labels framelits, big shot, scallop trim border punch, brights buttons, white bakers twine

I also wanted to share a personal photo today.  Every year, my girls and I attend several of our local library's summer programs.  Even though my oldest is now in middle school, she still loves seeing the performances.  Last week, the program was 'Zeus, Poseidon, and Percy'.  It was an introduction to mythology and the Percy Jackson series.  DD #1 was so excited when the presenter picked her to dress up as a Greek warrior.  After she put on the gear, he teased her that she must be an Amazonian warrior.  That's my girl!

Got a busy day today...both girls to the dentist in the morning, and a double header at the ball field this evening!  Hoping for some cooler temperatures!!!  Have a great day and happy crafting!

Scrapbook Monday- At the beach

Welcome!  So glad you stopped by to visit me today!  Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!  We had a great weekend and got to do something new!  A family from our church recently added organic cheese making to their grass fed, organic farm business.  They had an open house this past weekend and we were able to see a bit of the cheese making process and tour the farm.  We had already tasted their cheese before (super yummy and so much more flavor than any of the store brands!!) but this was the first time we had been to their farm. Super cool!  I'm hoping to arrange some field trips for my preschool children next spring!

But enough of my rambling about the weekend! On to the scrapbooking!  Today I have two pages to share, both from our trip to Panama City Beach. DH and I were so excited for the girls to see the ocean, and couldn't wait to see their faces when they viewed it for the first time.  As luck would have it, our first view of the gulf was a bay area while we were driving to the hotel.  My oldest DD in a less than impressed voice said "I thought it would look bigger.  You can see the land all around it..."  Youngest DD chimed in with "Yeah! I didn't think it would look like this."  Oh, joy...

I really wish I would have video taped the girls when they arrived at the beach!  We took a small board walk that led us to the beach.  Because it was low tide, the girls could only see the upper part of the beach as we walked.  Then they climbed the hill to the actual beach.  They both froze, breath caught in throats, and then squealed as they ran to the water!  Now this was a much better response to one of God's most beautiful creations!  I did manage to take a quick picture before they reached the water.

When I saw this picture, I knew I wanted it to be the focal point of the page, and almost immediately the line from the song"I hope you dance" popped into my head.  While I wanted the lyrics to be a part of this page, I did not want to take away from the beauty of the picture, so I adjusted the opacity of the text by about 50% -still dark enough to be read, but not center stage.  BTW- if you are ever wanting to check the accuracy of the song lyrics, A-Z Lyrics Universe is an awesome site!

I had a lot of  pictures from the beach that were more "moment in time" than actual "story" pictures.  So I didn't do any journaling on this page.  I'm going to journal about the beach experience on the back of the first page, so they will remember comments and various things they did.  But these pictures really tell a story all on their own.  DH took the picture of the girls and I at the edge of the water.  I love the staircase effect, which by the way is sort of a trick angle since DD #1 is as tall as I am!  I added a small mat to the largest picture to help draw the eye there first.  Other than that, this was a super easy page too!  Just drag and drop!

Well, that's it for today!  I was already feeling overwhelmed at the number of pictures I had from our trip, then I saw my sister's pictures...  So now I have even more to add to the album!  This may be a 2 volume vacation book... And we're not even going to think about the printing costs at this moment!

Have a wonderful week and happy crafting!

To be or not to be (manly)...that is the question...

I LOVE the new DSP Comfort Cafe!  The beautiful floral patterns resemble fabric and caught my eye immediately.  Then I checked out the opposite patterns... muy macho!!  How awesome is that?!  So now I can create girly OR manly using the same paper!!  I knew that this was a paper I needed to share with my stampin' club.  So I used an old Page Maps sketch and literally put this card together in minutes!

This also uses one of the new in colors, summer starfruit.  Not a gorgeous color on it's own, but it looks great paired up with so many combinations!  Yes, I pulled out Lovely as a Tree again! So great for manly or winter cards! My image was stamped in soft suede, then colored with the pastels.

Card Recipe: Cardstock-summer starfruit, very vanilla, soft suede, Comfort Cafe DSP, Ink-soft suede, pastels, Stamp Set-Lovely as a Tree

I almost forgot to give an update on the Father's Day card!  So I have this huge smile on my face as DH opens his card and he says "Thanks! This is really cool! I like the tools on there."  Me-Don't you notice anything special on there?  (Blank look from DH-you know the one that says 'I know I should have the answer for this, but I have no clue...') "Look at the sentiment.", still smug smile on my face... "OH! You used that stuff I wanted to throw away!  It looks really cool on there, like wood shavings."  Alleluia!!  We have made a break through!!!  In the future, he may actually believe that I'm not crazy or a hoarder when I save something from the trash or recycling...maybe...  Hey a girl can dream!  Have a great day and happy crafting!

Flashback Friday- It's almost gone!

I am so happy to say that I have almost used up 2 packages of Christmas DSP! Woo! Hoo! As an added bonus, I actually have a few Christmas cards too!! Yea, Me! (sorry...too much Disney channel...)  My oldest DD looked at my cards yesterday and asked "Christmas? Already?"  She is quite the procrastinator as well, and was in complete awe when I told her that some people make them year round! That's my girl!!

So I have finished sketch #3 from Merry Monday.  I took a little liberty with the sketch and turned the base but kept the elements the same to fit my stamp. I also pulled out one of my favorite Christmas stamp sets.  Sadly, it hasn't seen ink in over a year since I didn't use it for last year's Christmas cards.

It was a little odd making Christmas cards inside and then going out into the sweltering heat to watch the girls play ball!  Sort of like being in a time warp...wait...maybe that's just my life!

Hope you have a marvelous weekend and happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-real red, very vanilla, Merry Moments DSP, Ink-crumb cake, soft suede (distressing), Stamp Set-Miracle of Christmas, Accessories-Petals a Plenty folder, pear pizzazz seam binding (ret), linen thread, vanilla shimmer smooch

And they lived happily ever after...

In an effort to use up my Christmas DSP, I decided to put together the card holder kit I bought before they retired.  Unfortunately, I was not very good at following the pattern (a little confusing to me anyway) and there are quite large white seams showing at the corners.  So now I am trying to brainstorm a way to cover the edges and still have the box look like someone older than 2 put it together...  After finishing the box, I went through my basket of cards to sort them into their new home and came across a card I had made quite a while back.  Well...the card was quickly covered with other cards and forgotten.  So today I am finally posting the card.

If you have been a follower of my blog for a while, you will remember this card...

This card was featured here.  My wonderfully creative blogging buddy Lisa M, suggested that it looked like they were off on an adventure.  That sparked my second card...

and the story that went with it.  Well it has been a little over 5 months and Chip and Rocky have an update...

Awww... isn't he cute?!  Who knew the gestation period for lawn ornaments was 5 months?!  So they had a baby and are now living in Little Rock! (yes... weak I know... but still corny enough to fit this series!!)  They do have a little problem though.  They can't decide on a name for their little guy and want you to help!  So...  in the spirit of this crazy little mini series, Chip, Rocky, and I are holding a "Name Baby Gnomie" Contest.  Leave your suggestion in the comment section and I will randomly pick a winner.  Who knows...there may even be a gift for the winner!  If you have more than one suggestion, please leave a comment for each name.

Have a wonderful rest of the week! The weekend is almost here!!

Card Recipe:  Cardstock-pool party, crumb cake, very vanilla, Everyday Enchantment (ret.), Ink-black stazon, various markers, Stamp Sets-Gnome Sweet Gnome (ret), Word Play, Accessories-crystal effects, ribbon (ret.)

Stamp Club

Enjoy ordering Stampin' Up products?  Want hostess benefits without having to hold a workshop?  A stamp club might be just what you're looking for!  I am starting a new stamp club in August and still have 2 spots open.

This stamp club will have 6 members and each member will have a turn at being the hostess.  There are a few requirements to join, but they are so simple.  Each member of the club commits to be in the group for 1 year.  We meet every other month starting in August.  When we have a club meeting, I will provide the supplies for 3 projects and a little gift for each club member. If you are not in my area, you can be a virtual member and I will send the projects to you. Each member is also required to order a minimum of $25 (before tax and shipping) in product.  This way we will always have a $150 'party' and each hostess will get the minimum benefits.  Each member also receives a free copy of the Idea Book and Catalog.

August is also the first month to order from the NEW Holiday Catalog which you will receive for free as a club member!

If you would like more information or are interested in joining, please leave me a comment and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!

Scrapbook Monday-The Road Trip

Hello everyone!  Hope you had a great weekend!  After a rather busy week, our weekend was nice. A small family get together for Father's Day was our only commitment, if you can call it that!

I have yet another MDS page from our recent vacation-more road trip pictures!  While most people would rather do a trip to a dentist than do a 12+ hr drive with two kids, we are fortunate to have children who do really well on road trips.  They have both been on several 6 hour trips to Chicago, numerous 2-3 hour visits to Kentucky, and the annual trip to Gatlinburg, TN.  Now they can officially say they have been in 7 different states.  (I would love to double that number before they graduate!)  They also bring plenty of things to keep them occupied and watch DVDs  when it gets too dark to check out the scenery.  

You already know about the bridge crossing into Kentucky... They had already seen a bit of the mountains of Tennessee, but were amazed at the runaway truck pits on the sides of the mountain roads.  When we stopped for gas in Alabama, there was a water tower across the street that was decorated like a peach (and I always thought that was Georgia).  The girls thought that was the coolest thing.  We also stopped at a rest area/visitors center in Alabama for our lunch break.  We all enjoyed the chance to stretch our legs and it was such a pretty day for a little picnic.  But the most exciting part was crossing into Florida and getting a free cup of fresh orange juice at the visitors center.  We also picked up several maps and tourist attraction pamphlets there.  And there wasn't even a lot of  "Are we there yet?"  A pretty good trip so far!

Next week's page will be the start of our actual 'vacation'-the start of the beach pictures!!  Thanks for visiting and I hope you find some time to be crafty this week! 

Hold on to your seats...another Christmas card!

Hope everyone has some special plans for Father's day! We are having a simple family cook out which promised to be laid back and fun!

I have managed to make yet another Christmas card (two actually since I often make two of the same card and share the other with the Moms.) to use up my stash of Christmas DSP.  I have decided that if I can eliminate one whole package of old DSP by July, I will reward myself with a new package during the preorder period for the Holiday Catalog (demo perks-gotta love them!!).  So now my resolve is strong and I am already turning the wheels for the mini albums I always donate to our daycare's annual auction.  A few 6x6 albums ought to help a lot with that paper pile...  Maybe I'll even eliminate 2 pkgs of paper and buy 2 NEW packages! A girl can dream!!  But enough of my musing; you came her to see paper crafting!

So I proudly present my second Christmas card design, once again using a sketch from Merry Monday.  I followed in sequence and used sketch #2, but a good blogging friend suggested that while I continue to work chronologically, I could also do the current sketch.  Therefore, I would get two different cards completed and use up even more paper.  You are so smart, Sherry!!!  So I am going to try to squeeze in the time to complete a card for their next challenge. Apologies in advance for the wonky angle! Not sure what happened there... The black you see is not actually on the card.  It's shadows.  I really need a photography class for properly capturing cards and layout...

My card was based on this sketch...

I absolutely love this stamp set and was so excited that it is now offered in the 'clear' mount version in the new catalog!  Gotta love more options!  This is pretty basic and doesn't really require a lot of explaining.  I used markers to color the tree so the trunk would be brown and the needles, green.  Super easy, but really looks cool...  I didn't put a sentiment on the front because I couldn't find a place to make it work without throwing off the balance of the card, so the sentiment is going on the inside.  I figure if someone receives a card in December, they will know what the occasion is...

Well, that's it for today!  Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and found some time to play around with their crafty supplies! Thanks for stopping by!!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-very vanilla, chocolate chip, Merry Moments DSP (ret), Ink-garden green, chocolate chip, Stamp Set-Lovely as a Tree, Accessories-scallop trim border punch, chocolate chip scallop dots ribbon

A Crafty Color and Sketch Challenge

My upline, Tiffany, gives us a new color and sketch challenge each month.  She's even nice enough to supply some cardstock to make it easier for us!  This month our colors were the new gumball green, along with melon mambo, and so saffron.  We could also use a neutral.  She picks sketches from older Stampin' Success issues (magazine for SU demos only-another great perk!).

Here is my card...

I used the retired stamp set, Look Who's Turning and chose to add whisper white as my neutral color.  I finished this card on Friday afternoon and was so proud for getting it done on time.  Then I left this morning for our meeting and forgot the silly thing on the kitchen table! Grrr...

Card Recipe:  Card stock-gumball green, so saffron, melon mambo, whisper white, Stamp Set-Look Who's Turning, Ink-gumball green, melon mambo, so saffron, Accessories-rhinestones, white bakers twine, perfect polka dots folder, felt flower (ret), owl punch (for circles), dazzling details

I Got Mail!!!

Is there anyone in the world who does not love going to the mailbox or post office and finding a personal letter or card?!  In a time where we are all so busy and looking for the most efficient way to do things, we often use modern conveniences to handle our correspondence.  Now don't get me wrong, if it wasn't for email, facebook, and blogging, I would not keep in touch nearly as well as I do and many friendships probably would have been lost over the years.  But there is something so special about getting that envelope addressed to you and opening it to find a handmade card or handwritten note just to say hello.

I was blessed yesterday to find both in my mailbox!  My wonderful blogging friend, Heather, sent me the most fabulous envelope and card, AND it had a wonderfully written note inside!  Made my day!

As if the card wasn't enough (chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven? MMMMMM...), she even decorated the flap of the envelope with chocolate chips!!! Awesome!!

The only down side to this is that I am really craving homemade chocolate chip cookies now...  Guess I need to get baking!

If you have a minute, be sure to stop by Heather's blog and check out all of her fabulous creations.  She also takes the most amazing pictures and has absolutely gorgeous flowers growing at her home!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!