The road to a friend's house...

HEY THERE HEY THERE!

Just sharing a quick card today, and then I am forced to actually "do my job" - BLAH! It is August, and my allergies and sinus have turned against me. My eyes are red and watery and I am sneezing like crazy and avoiding the outdoors. Something about turning the calendar page from July to August always brings this on, lol. Thank goodness for Sudafed 12 Hour! (Although I don't care for that icky "out of it" feeling, it's MUCHO better than the watery eyes and sneezing!)


Card Credits: CS from Stampin' Up!; Stamps from Stamping Bella, PaperTrey Ink (polka dots) and a*Muse (sentiment); Copic Markers

Thanks for stopping by!

Just Saying Hello...

PHEW! This week is getting away from me!

The kids have been busy with VBS, and that makes for a much shorter work-day for Mom, plus add in some dental visits and just the regular chaos, and I haven't had a moment to spare all week! ZERO creative time, but I hope to get back on track this weekend!

Just a quick share today, and then back to the "salt mines" for me, haha!


Card Credits: Stamps - "Pete" from WhipperSnapper, sentiment from aMuse; DP by Basic Grey; CS & linen thread by Stampin Up! Copic Markers

Thanks for stopping in! I hope your week is fabulous so far!

Monday Monday...

Well it is BACK to the rat race after a relaxing weekend!

I had a chance to meet a friend for some stampin' on Saturday - way fun! I'll be sure to share my finished cards this week! I also snagged the new QuicKutz Epic Six machine - LOVE! I have an old old old Sizzix machine, which has served me very well, but it was time to upgrade to something that could accomodate all of the newer big dies that are out on the market these days!

Card Credits: Flower Frenzy & Polka Dot Basics stamp sets (PaperTrey Ink); CS & inks are from Stampin' Up!

Thanks for stopping by - have a great Monday!

Life's a Beach!

It's Wednesday, and I feel BEACHY! :)

Okay, not really, lol. But I have a fun lunch date today, and totally feel like GOOFING OFF. Unfortunately, work is calling my name...*sigh*

So here is just a quick card - Yes, I am *still* using up this beachy striped paper from BoBunny! (Did I tell you that I bought another whole sheet of it???) I am back to this surfboard mouse (Whipper Snapper) - I needed to move away from the blues and greens, and make a girly PINK surfer mouse, lol.


I have a pile of cards on my stamp table, and need to get rolling with sending out some snail mail! Thanks for stopping by - the week is flying by, it will be FRIDAY before we know it! YAY!

More from the Big Kahuna

I know I know, you are sick of the Big Kahuna!

Well TOUGH, because I love this little surfin' mouse, lol...and of course, I am still in my coloring mode too. :)

I feel like I am *finally* getting the hang of these Copic markers. The trick is to buy LOTS of markers! *snort* Seriously though, you do need at least 2 shades of each color for any detailed blending. I am just learning by trial and error basically. (I just took the trash out, otherwise I would show you all my errors crumpled up in the waste basket, lol.) I have gotten pretty good results with layering single color markers ON TOP of themselves (does that make sense? I mean by applying a SECOND layer on top of the first...) but I feel like I have much more freedom by having a few varying shades to work with. I also am getting the hang of the blending pen, for moving the color around and, well, blending!

Blah blah blah - what I mean is: GO OUT AND BUY MORE COPICS! You *need* a variety!


I coordinated these surfers with papers from Basic Grey Lime Rickey collection. I think Basic Grey is my favorite paper line EVER, lol. I always say NO. I DO NOT NEED any more papers from Basic Grey. But I end up buying them anyway. Don't judge me!

Thanks for stopping by (I think I am breaking a record for blogging this month!) - I hope your week is turning out fabulous so far!

Rest. Relax. Renew.

Ahhh...I just *love* the weekend, don't you?

My company is gone, and it is way too chilly here in MN to float on an innertube, so I spent some time messy-ing up the stamp table again. As you can see, I am still into the chicks (from WhipperSnapper) and the beachy striped paper (from BoBunny)! LOL! It is so good to be stamping again!

I think it will be a pretty quiet weekend, I plan to just relax and enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by!

The Big Kahuna...

Well, COMPANY is coming, so I had to clear a path thru my messy stamp space! I had to color this li'l surfin' mouse just one more time before I put the markers away. Isn't he just your favorite?

This is another tabbed card - I found *another* beachy striped paper that I like! (And I also bought another sheet of the one I was using last week, lol...don't judge me!) Both of these lines are from BoBunny and have several coordinating patterns, all double sided, so more bang for your buck!

They are *practically free*!!!

This project did not begin as a tabbed card, it began as just a regular card, HOWEVER, I dropped the inky sentiment stamp and SMUDGED the front of the card. GRRRR! After some PG-13 language, I regrouped, cut the end off, and added a tab, lol...

Crisis averted!



That's it for today! Thanks for stopping by, I hope you are having a FAB week!

Chicks in green innertubes!

...for lack of a better title, lol...

I am still in stamping (and coloring!) mode. And I have all these bright paper scraps laying on my table, so I figured I may as well use 'em up!

This is another folder card...I rounded the corners for a different look.



...and here is the inside...bright and stripey!



And lastly, here is just a tabbed card. Would you believe I still have *more* of this striped paper left? 1 12x12 sheet goes a long way, lol...

This was a double-sided heavier weight paper, stripes on one side and the polka dots on the other. I like the coordinated look of them together!



Thanks for checking in!

More creative time for me...

...it's summer and I am taking the time to be creative! I'd love to make time for it every day, we'll see how that goes - usually work and life get in the way!

I am really enjoying getting inky again these last few days! There is something theraputic about coloring in line images - I guess I always liked to color. Was there ever anything better than a fresh box of crayons?

I've been playing with some bright and summery papers that have been out on my table - I love how bright and fun these papers are! I'm pairing them up with some images from Whipper Snapper, colored in with Copic markers.


This surfboard mouse is fast becoming a favorite! Don't you want to drop everything and race to the beach???



I hope to get some scrapping in this week too, my photos are calling to me - they need some attention, lol!

Thanks for stopping by!

Project of the Day

YIPPEE LEPINSKI I stamped!

So I am in this online group, and we have been featuring a "Project of the Day Classroom" - I haven't had much time to play, but this project was just too cute to pass up!

Detailed instructions can be found at my friend Lana's blog (click here).

I love these cute little folders - just perfect for tucking a little note and a treat inside! Super easy to whip out a handful of these, and you are all set for sending out some snail mail smiles, or dropping on a friend's desk at work...










Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Sending out snail mail...

Hey there hey there!

I am *finally* feeling better after being sick with cold/sinus/allergy yucks last week. BLAH! The timing could not have been worse, with that hitting JUST as the kids were out of school for summer vacation! They were not impressed with me and my need for endless boxes of tissues and peace & quiet, haha.

And don't even ask me about my $600 brake job! Pfffffttttt! Talk about crampin' the ol' budget!

Rod and the kids headed down to visit Grandma yesterday, and I found some time to stamp! WHOOHOO! Just a few here to share...





Thanks for stopping by - hope you had a great weekend!

Warmest Wishes...

...for a FABULOUS WEEKEND!

I am headed out for my GIRLS WEEKEND (mandatory meeting) - WHOOHOO!

Not sure how *warm* it is, as we woke up to... (brace yourselves, people...)

SNOW.

On the ground.

Aaaaaack! Ummm...wasn't it just TUESDAY that we had a record setting high temp of 76 degrees??? Only in MN, lol...

This is another card from when I was putzing with Piney's Rustic Branches set. I've also been slaving away on my December Daily album, and will be sharing that next week! I have the pages completed, and just need to finish numbering them -YAY!

That's IT for me - I'm OUT until Monday afternoon! Have a fabulous weekend!

Baby it's COLD outside...

ACTUALLY - today's not too bad, lol. But we have had some C-C-COLD mornings this week! I'm hoping this nice weather holds out for trick or treating tomorrow night!

Just a quick share today, and then I am OFF AND RUNNING! On top of my regular schedule, my Mom (MamaFab) said she will be coming down for a visit - YAY! But that means I have to pack up my messy stamp room and presto change-o that back to the guest room! This will get me motivated to box up all the garage sale kids clothes that are piled high in there!

This card is using another one of Piney's Papertrey Ink stamp sets - Snowfall and Snowfall Additions - these coordinate PERFECTLY with the new Marvy snowflake punches! I thought I just needed 2 of the punches, but it turns out that I NEED THEM ALL! My last 2 came yesterday - don't be like me, and waste time, just order them all RIGHT AWAY, lol...

Have a fabulous Thursday! WHOOHOO - it's *almost* the weekend!

P.S. If you click over to Piney's blog, you will see her December Daily album - OMGOSH! It's SO FAB! This is inspired by Ali Edwards (you can see all about it HERE), and I will be doing this challenge, along with Piney, and my friends Mish and Kookie! I'll be sure to post my finished album - I have my supplies gathered, and I'm ready to get started!

Thankful...

Just a quick post today - my to-do list is GIGANTIC!

This is another card from my stamping weekend - have I mentioned how FAB it was to be stamping again???

This is another one of my friend Piney's stamp sets from Papertrey Ink. It's called Rustic Branches, and I just LOVE LOVE LOVE it! (Almost as much as I love the snowflakes, lol.) This card has kind of a Christmassy feel from my color scheme, but you can make this set work for all seasons - it's very versatile!

This was Pine's very first stamp set as a designer, and it just so happened to debut during a yearly stamping retreat this past August. What a TREAT to have an entire group of us to celebrate this success with our friend! We did a countdown, and surprised her with a champagne toast, as her set when live at Papertray - it was SO FAB!

Pine surprised us all by treating the retreat attendees each to our own copy of her stamp set! I think you could hear the squealing for miles, lol. Here's a picture of us *after* we stopped jumping up and down and screaming, lol...

FUN TIMES!

Have a fab Tuesday!

Too early for snowflakes???

Hmmm...I feel like it's WAY TOO EARLY, lol, but we had snow flurries on Sunday here in MN! Aaaack! Luckily, the forcast says we will get back to more normal weather this week, YAY! I hate to see the trick or treaters have to bundle up in winter coats on top of their costumes!

I had so much fun stamping on Friday, that I had to continue on Saturday! I packed up all the Halloween supplies for next year (remember - HOARD, people, lol) and moved on to the snowflakes and winter cards! I wasn't in the mood to do anything too Christmassy, but I was itchin' to ink up these new snowflake sets from PaperTrey Ink! I am especially fond of these, as they are designed by my good friend Heather/Pinefeather (or Piney as we like to call her, lol) - she is fulfilling her DREAM of designing her own line of stamps via PaperTrey Ink, and I couldn't be happier for her! I love her rustic, earthy style - if you have a chance, browse through her fabulous samples at her blog! She uses a ton of kraft cardstock and white craft ink, so I had to give it a try - I've had kind of a love/hate thing going with my white craft inkpad, lol, but after spending a day with it, I think I am in total love now, lol!


It felt good to get back to stamping this weekend, I need to spend more time at this! My friend Bevie hosted a VSN (Virtual Stamp Night) for a group of us on Saturday, with fab challenges - it really helped to get back into the swing of it! I was so excited to be stamping, that I forgot to do the challenges, lol! Good thing that challenge #4 was a "freestyle" do whatever challenge, haha! I did lots of that, roflol.

Is it too early to send out winter cards? (Okay, maybe, lol) I guess I need to get back to it, and work in some fall themed cards now!

Have a FABULOUS Monday! Thanks for stopping by!

YAY! I stamped!

I have been *itching* to stamp these days, and FINALLY had the chance yesterday - WHOOHOO! I was a bit rusty, and my stamp room is a mess (lots of "garage sale" type items from all over the house are piled high in there, lol) BUT, I managed to crank out 10 (yes TEN!) Halloween cards! Not sure why, but I was *obsessed* this year with Halloween stamps and papers! I figured I better use some of my stash before Halloween is OVER and I have to store it all for another year, lol.

First up: This card is so sparkly in real life! Stamps are from Papertrey Ink, and papers were from the Jeepers Creepers line from The Paper Company - they are so glittery and fab!

This next stamp image is from an image swap I was in last year (I think?) - I'm thinking it is Stampendous? And I finally cut into my stash of Stampin' Up! Halloween papers from last year (lol). The sentiment stamp is from Hero Arts.



This card uses the same SU! papers from last year (did I mention I am a hoarder?) The spider stamp is also from Stampin' Up!, and the sentiment is by Anna Wight for Whipper Snapper Designs. I love the combination of fonts on this greeting!



Lastly - another stamp set from Anna Wight for Whipper Snapper, and those same SU! papers. (I told you I am a hoarder, lol) And these li'l ghosties were so cute that I had to do a matching envelope too!

Thanks for stopping by - Have a great Saturday!

Will you be my Digi-tine?

Happy BELATED Valentine's Day!

PHEW! Last week was HECTIC to say the least! Rod's Grandma passed away on Wednesday, so we had to quickly make arrangements for the trip to Ottumwa, IA for funeral services. It was a five hour trip each way for us, but well worth it to say our goodbyes to a great lady! It ended up being a fast trip, too, as we had to turn right around and head back, since they were expecting a blizzard overnight last night! I did want to share these Valentine's I made for the children to pass out to classmates. This was my first digi "hybrid" project! Yea for me!

The treat bag toppers were entirely digital, using the darling Wild Thang kit by Dani Mogstad and Lauren Grier. SO CUTE! I love all the papers and elements in this kit! They also had Valentine's using this kit that I picked up as well.

The little candies are actually Hershey Nuggets covered with stamped Avery labels. Nicole Heady (PaperTrey Ink) has some really cute sets for personalizing these for any occasion. Lots of fun to stamp these!


(Sorry for the poor quality photography! I just barely managed to snap these pics before the kids had to bring their Valentine's to school!)

Ghostly Greetings...

Don't you just *love* Halloween? I do! I seem to gravitate towards all of the Halloween stuff. There are a TON of fun papers, stamps, embellishments, and of course DIGI KITS too!

Today I took half the day off from work to meet up with a friend for some stampin', shoppin', and gabbin'. We had a FAB time! Of course I couldn't resist making just one last Halloween card...

Then on the drive home, I listened to a Christmas CD. LOL! (Only about 55 shopping days left!)

Project Credits: ghost stamp from Whipper Snapper, sentiment from Hero Arts, cardstock from Stampin' Up!, Copic Markers.