Happy Day!

Happy Saturday! Whew, I almost didn't get this post up while it's still Saturday... at least here in the US. I know I've got too much on my mind when I totally forgot that yesterday was Friday and that I needed to get my card done for Sketch Saturday. It's either that or I'm going senile. (*grin*) I remembered right before I had to leave for a birthday party, so had to wait until today to make my card. So sorry for the delay!

What I like about this sketch is that it's sort of like piecing together a quilt. It's perfect for pulling together bits and pieces of coordinating paper. I used Schoolhouse by October Afternoon. That sweet image is by Stampin Up! from a set called Greeting Card Kids. Love! The greeting is by SRM.

Please stop by the Sketch Saturday blog to see all the wonderful creations from the design team ladies. And then join us for some fun! This week's sponsor is Bunny Zoe's Crafts, offering a 10 pound gift certificate to spend in their store!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Happy Birthday Peggysue!!!

This is my second post for today. Please scroll down or click HERE for my La-La Land Weekly Wednesday Challenge post.

Hear ye, hear ye! Today is my dear friend Peggysue's birthday!!! And to think, she's only half my age! (she wishes!)

We at Stampin' Sisters in Christ are throwing her a virtual birthday party! The party started at the Stampin' Sisters in Christ Challenge blog. Please click over there and follow us along on the Party Hop!

My contribution to the party is the music, and what better and more appropriate song than this (and, no, it's not "Happy Birthday"!):

I LOVE my Peggysue!!! Happy Birthday Girlfriend! Your card is in the mail... or at least it will be as soon as I make it.


Now on you go to Randi's blog to see what fun she has in store as we continue to Party!!!

You're Crazy Cool!

TGIF!!! Time for another Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge to jump start your week-end crafting!

This week's sketch reminds me a bit of a quilt, so I used plenty of stitching. I've been looking for a way to use this cute Woolie squirrel from Basic Grey, which coordinates with the Green at Heart DP, and this was the perfect sketch! The only stamping is the "You're Crazy Cool" talking bubble, which is from Stampin' Up, so this card came together super easy. 

My mom used to say that our house was like a squirrel cage... so much activity! And that was back when we only had two kids!!!

I can't wait to see your interpretation of this sketch! Be sure to make the rounds to see what the rest of the Sketch Crew came up with... it's a great way to start your day!

Alice Lihsuan-Wertz: Alice's Little Wonderland 

Jami Sibley: More is More

Lynn Mercurio: Stamperosity

Melissa Sauls: In Stamping Mode
Monika Davis: M.A.D. Stamper

Rachel Sztonyk: Gingerbread Gallery
Sherrie Siemens: Card Creme

and of course Taylor herself: Taylored Expressions

Have a really cool day!


,

Elephant Dreams

It's been much too long since I've given my (many) Stampin Up stamps some love. I'm an avid follower of Mary Fish, Stampin Up Demonstrator extraordinaire. Mary is a VERY successful demonstrator and devotes her blog ONLY to Stampin Up images and products. If you're ever looking for some great ideas using Stampin Up products and/or want to know the latest and greatest news in the Stampin Up world, Mary's your gal!

Mary calls her downline her "Stampin Pretty Pals," and they've come up with a weekly challenge blog called Pals Paper Arts using primarily Stampin Up products. I think this is a great idea, and I'm determined to play weekly if at all possible. I am, after all, a Stampin Up demonstrator and I, like so many others, got into this crazy wonderful world of stamping through SU.

I missed the first challenge, but the second is a sketch challenge. My card uses that cute new set Animal Stories and the coordinating DP Tall Tales. I LOVE them both!!! The cardstock base and ink are Old Olive, and the button is Summer Sun, tied with a bit of hemp. Simple and fun! I can't wait to ink up the rest of the animals in this set.

There's still time for you to play! The deadline for this sketch challenge is Tuesday, August 11th at noon CST (GMT -6). But if you miss this one, be sure to jump in for the next. I can't wait to see what it is!

Thanks for stopping by my friends. Have a wonderful day/evening/morning wherever you are in this big world!

Happy Father's Day!

No, I didn't suddenly decide to take the clean and simple look to the max. LOL! This card was made by my youngest Avery (age 12) for Paul. Isn't it great? Avery did everything except cut the paper, which he picked out. That's my boy! The next Stampin Kub, perhaps?

Actually, I'm just thrilled that one of my four boys enjoys crafting as much as I do. Avery even tried his hand at a latch hook rug this past week and did a super job. He also likes to paint things, especially those wooden birdhouses you can buy at Michael's. We have several... and so do Nana Jo and Grandma E (hee hee). Anyway, I can't make too much noise about it around him or I might scare him off... goodness knows his brothers like to tease him about being "Mommy's girl." But I always tell him that many of the great artists are men. So far, so good.

I have to share the inside of the card with you as well:In this version of the image, Avery colored right onto the stamp with markers. He has the patience... and preference... for stamping this way. When he asked me which one I liked better, I suggested it's his choice as artist, but I didn't see any reason why he couldn't use both.

Anyway, when I read what he wrote, it made me smile... for two reasons. One, Paul's favorite response to everything these days is "Relax." Such as, "Paul, can you come fix the vacuum cleaner, something's wrong with it." To which he would reply, "Relax." So pretty much everything you ask him about or ask him to do elicits the same response. It used to be "whatever." We tease him about this relentlessly, of course.

The second reason is because the second "Relax" wasn't really intended to be there. Avery signed his name "Avery Hjulberg." I asked him if he thought his dad didn't know what his last name is... hahahaha... and Avery got mad and crossed it out, which made a mess. Then he got upset. Which is when I told him the tried and true remedy that all of us stampers use from time-to-time, and that is to cover up our mistakes with something else; ergo, the second "Relax."

We're having a very low key Father's Day because the US Open is on TV and so everyone is glued. I walked into the family room a few minutes ago and there they all were, in various lounging poses, on the couch: Paul, our four boys, my "fifth son" Brendan, who is Collin's best friend and practically part of the family, plus the two dogs. They all looked up at me for a moment. I had to stand there shaking my head... this is my life, people! LOL

Since the boys are occupied, I shall slip back into my craft room and prep for Stamp Club. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all are enjoying your day!

Hello... Michelle!

Still no time to stamp lately, but I'm determined to get into my craft room this evening and make a Mother's Day card for my MIL (my own mother is an angel in Heaven). It just hit me that Mother's Day is THIS Sunday! Gee, I wonder what I should buy myself for Mother's Day that Paul and the boys can wrap up for me...

Never fear, I have another card to share that I made a week or so ago, this time for my dear friend Michelle. She is so talented and so sweet. I feel like we've known each other for ages! I think we're kindred spirits because my husband's family is from Minnesota. (*grin*) Whatever the reason, Michelle's posts and emails always make me smile, so I wanted to send her some Happy Mail.

I just adore this stamp set called Friends 24-7. I'm a big bird lover, but I also love the other elements in this set, such as the damask you see in the background. I used Versamark Dazzle in Champagne (I got mine from Papertrey Ink) to emboss the background and also to add some "dazzle" to the main image after it was embossed with Tempting Turquoise craft ink. Because of my truly awful photography skills, the picture is a bit blury, but you can see the sparkle in this close-up:
And there's that favorite color combo of mine... Sahara Sand and Tempting Turquoise, paired so nicely with Flock Together DSP. The ribbon is from Papertrey Ink, along with the button and the greeting.

Hopefully I'll be back soon with a new creation. In the meantime, here's your Question of the Day: If you were an animal, what would you be?

Me: I hate to say it, because it seems so obvious, but I think probably a cat because I love naps!

Thinking of... Debbie!

Hello my crafting friends! I can't believe it's been more than a week since my last post. Actually, yes, I can. It was a crazy week for me... starting with my cat Jazzy eating two feet of ribbon and requiring surgery to remove it from her intestines. She's now used up one of her nine lives. I've told her that she'd better watch out, because I'm not sure I can afford eight more! Plus, Paul has been out of town tending to his mom while she had knee surgery, and, by extension, Grandma E. Thank goodness he comes home tomorrow. (He's more than ready to come home, too, as you can imagine.)

All that, plus Stamp Club and a slight stomach bug, has meant no time to stamp this week. So, I'm posting a card I made a couple of weeks ago for my friend Debbie who lives "Down Under." Now that she has received it, I can share.
Yes, my friends, it's a Stampin Up set, Bird on a Branch. I've been neglecting my SU stamps for far too long. The card base is Sahara Sand, and the mats are Tempting Turquoise. I'm just loving those colors with the Flock Together DSP (Designers Series Paper). I stamped the branch with Sahara Sand and sponged around the edge. The bird and greeting are Tempting Turquoise. I added a bit of bling with the blue rhinestones by Kaiser Craft (love those!). The swirly background is a transparency by K&Company. It's really a very sparkly card in real life. My photography skills are just terrible. I think I'm going to take a class...

Susan and I attended a crop marathon yesterday at our LSS... 12 hours of scrapbooking and chat. We had so much fun! We've been getting together to crop every other Friday night for about two months now and have no intention of stopping. It's great to get back to scrapbooking, which is what both of us first started with and love. We made two new friends at the crop yesterday... Desiree and Becky. Hi girls! We look forward to seeing you again soon!

Thanks for stopping by to visit me today. I love when you post comments. When you do, please answer the following Question of the Day (if you want to): Do you scrapbook?

Answer: Obviously, for me, yes I do!

Birthday Wishes and Update on SCS Victorian Bushfire Appeal Non-Raffle

I finally found a bit of time to make a card...thank goodness, as I'm in dire need of stamping therapy to balance the stresses of late (file those under the category of "Rat Race.") Unfortunately, it's taking my mojo a bit of time to rev up. These little trees (from the SU set Trendy Trees) didn't turn out quite as I had envisioned, but I finally left well enough alone. I think it's the paper... I used Naturals Ivory and it doesn't take ink very well for some solid images.

But I am loving this DSP -- Sweet Slumber Specialty. It has a wonderful texture to it, and such great patterns and colors.

Everything here is Stampin Up except for the greeting, which I took from a Gina K set because I needed a birthday card, and the little brad, which is from a set of the cutest brads called Forest Friends by Colorbok (I got mine at Michaels).

This card is for the current CPS Sketch 105. I really like this sketch and plan to use it again.









In other news, I believe the SCS Non-Raffle for the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Appeal will go live on SCS's front page this Saturday. Yay!!! In the meantime, if you or anyone you know is willing to donate a prize, please let me know ASAP.

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun...

... and even when you're not!

Hello my blogging friends. Have you missed me? I'm starting to miss myself. I just realized that it's been more than a week since my last post. I wish I could say that I've been on an exotic cruise, or that I won the lottery and I've been on a spending frenzy, or that I've been so busy stamping that I haven't had time to blog. But, alas, no. I've just been preoccupied with a few things... some good, some not so good. But I'm never really very far away because not a day goes by that I don't blog surf. It's such a lovely way to spend a few stolen moments here and there... like a little vacation!

One fun thing that I did this past week was attend the Scrapbook Expo in Costa Mesa on Saturday with my BFF Lisa. Talk about excellent Retail Therapy! Yowser! I wondered if there would be fewer people this year because of the dismal economy. I think there probably were a few less, but not remarkably so. What really was a sign of the times were the sales. I paid full price on very few items. Nearly everyone was running massive sales, and I don't mean maybe. Of course, I had to buy because, as my husband likes to say, "the more you spend, the more you save!" (I think he was being sarcastic, but how am I supposed to know? *wink*) Let's just say this, I did my part to stimulate the economy!!!

Of course, between the Expo and the recent Papertrey Ink release, I'm all set for the next several years. But that won't stop me. Have you been to see my life story yet, "Confessions of a Shopaholic"? The gal who plays me could pass for my twin, don't you think? ROTFL!

Seriously, though, I can't wait to get back into my craft room and play with some of my new goodies. For one thing, I bought Shimmerz... and tons of Melissa Frances papers and embellishments, and some new SEI paper, and, and, and... you'll just have to wait and see!

Okay, back to reality. The card I've posted today is sort of a twin of the one I last posted. It's something I already had made up. I'll say it again... I love this Stampin Up stamp set Cheep Talk and the DSP Good Morning Sunshine, and the coudurouy buttons. That's a chipboard flower that I painted from So Tweet. I know this was based on a sketch challenge, but I'm drawing a blank on which one, and a quick look around isn't revealing the source to me. When I find it, I'll edit this post.

In the meantime, have a great evening. I have a special something I'm planning to share with you soon, plus something else I've got up my sleeve, so stay tuned!

Happy Birthday Kristine!

One of the very best parts... strike that... THE very best part of blogging is meeting people from all across the country and around the world. I've been blessed with some awesome blogging friends, who are becoming as real as friends get.

One is Kristine Breach, who is celebrating her birthday on Thursday. Kristine is my kind of girl because she's throwing herself a party! Well, actually, she's celebrating her birthday by GIVING away some very cool blog candy. You need to pop right over to her blog and follow the instructions for a chance to win... but be sure to take the time to look at her awesome eye candy while you're there. You only have until 5:00 pm PST, so hop on over now!

I had planned to make a Sophia Gliding By card for Kristine. She's made a couple of great ones lately, which reminded me that I need to ink mine up. Kristine challenged me to get 'er done. Well, I tried. I did. I really did. But my creation flopped badly. So I finally threw in the towel... or, should I say, Sophia glided right into the trash can. Poor girl.

So, stay tuned, Kristine. Your Sophia card is coming, my friend! In the meantime, I thought I'd share this one that I made last week with my new Stampin Up goodies. The stamp set is called Cheep Talk, and this card doesn't even begin to cover all the possibilities. I absolutely LOVE the Good Morning Sunshine DSP, which is surrounded here by Kiwi Kiss cardstock. And those new corduroy buttons are so awesome! Some are actually brads (like the one I used in this card) and others are actual buttons. So cool.

The sketch was Mojo Monday week 72.

The greeting is from one of the Level 1 Hostess Sets that just retired. The saying is perfect. I AM so glad we are friends!

Thanks for stopping by. Time for beddy bye.

My Friend

I finally got to play with Jen's Sketch For You To Try this past weekend AND give my long-neglected Stampin Up stamps some love. I know the sketch calls for a band at the top, but I just couldn't bear to cover up any more of this luscious Raspberry Tart DP.
The stamps are from the Sweet Stems set, and colored with Cameo Coral, Pretty in Pink, Rose Red and Kiwi Kiss reinkers using my blender pen. Yes, it's true... I put aside my Copics for this card. Oh, except for one thing. I took a vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware piece and colored it with one of my Copic markers. I think that it might have worked better on the silver, but I'm not sure. There were areas resisting the color, which means... as I learned at Copic Certification class...that there is something in the vanilla coating that doesn't like alcohol markers. I was going to toss it out, but I thought the mottled look was kinda cool, so I left it alone. What do you think?

I'm feeling rather guilty for neglecting Stampin Up, so I'm going to get back to my roots... especially since my first order since the premier of the new catalog (except for demonstrator preorders) just arrived and is waiting at the front door to be unpacked! So I'll sign off for now and get to it. Thanks for stopping by!

Ribbon Tying Tutorial

There was some interest shown in how I tied the bow in this post, so I thought I'd try to put together a tutorial (my first!) since it's hard to explain in words. So here we go!

First, cut a piece of ribbon longer than the card you want to wrap around. Here, I could have made it shorter, and in fact trimmed some later, but I wanted to emphasize what's going on.
Next, cut another piece of ribbon after folding it into thirds to the length you want your bow to be.This next is an optional step and depends on the width of your ribbon. Since mine is pretty wide, I chose to cut a piece in half. Ordinarily, you won't have to do this.
Next, use your strip of ribbon to tie the bow onto the ribbon and tie it securely on the back. Because I cut this ribbon in half to make my strip, I had to trim a bunch of threads that came loose. Like I said, you won't ordinarily have this problem because you'll just be using a length of the original ribbon to tie the bow onto the main ribbon. Be sure to cut a long enough piece so that you have room to tie it and pull it snug. You can then trim off any excess. I've found that you don't need to tie it in a knot, which saves bulk. (The second picture below shows the back, as I'm tying the bow to the main ribbon.)
Finally, you flip it around, slide the bow a bit to make any necessary adjustments, and then attach it to your card by tacking the ends of the ribbon underneath a cardstock mat or around the edges of your card (I use my tape runner). Voila you have a beautiful bow!I pulled this card together pretty quickly to showcase the bow I made for this tutorial. I don't know what it is about me and monochromatic lately. I can't decide if I like it or if it's too dull.

The designer papers and stamps are from the Stampin Up Love You Much bundle (still available until January 31st at a 20% savings!). The card base is Riding Hood Red, with Very Vanilla for one of the mats and for the stamped hearts. I used a Build-a-Brad for the little birdie, which is punched from one of the stamped images in the set. The "lace" on either side of my center piece was made using my Martha Stewart edge punch. The scalloped hearts and the stamped hearts were punched out using Marvy Uchida punches. That gorgeous ribbon is no longer available, but it was good for demonstrating this technique, so forgive me for tempting you with something you can no longer buy.

I'm having trouble getting all the links to the new catalog and sampler, but I'll get those up as soon as the website calms down. I think there's a frenzy of orders going in today for items in the new catty. Mine won't be far behind!

Take care, and thanks for stopping by!

Verve Looking For Love Release Challenge #2

Do you remember this oldie but goodie from Stampin Up? It's from Animal Valentines, and I believe it's one of the first stamp sets I ever bought, so that's gotta be more than 8 years ago! I was going to sell it on eBay, but my son Avery wouldn't let me. He said he wanted to keep it. I'm glad he did!

This was the sketch challenge:





















First, I stamped the doggy and colored him with my Copic marker. Then I covered him with Caramel Latte Tan Fun Flock by Stampendous. The flock tends to cover the detail of the stamped image, so I took a fine point black pen and traced those lines back in. I couldn't resist adding some sparkle with my new favorite atyouSpica clear pen! You can see the flock and sparkle better in this picture:

This card came together pretty quickly because I used the new Valentine Key Ingredients from Taylored Expressions. I love how it turned out. And when was the last time you gave your old eyelets some love? {LOL}

Now, onto #3...

Verve Looking For Love Release Challenge #1

Hi there! I'm going to make this quick because I have three posts tonight (maybe four) to catch up with the Verve Looking for Love Release Challenges.

The first, for Day 1, was a color challenge:















I know it doesn't look like those were the colors I used, but I did. It's probably my poor photography skills. Even with a light tent, my pictures aren't coming out right. I need help!

Anyway, this color combo was challenging for me, that's for sure. I had to look around at some other cards to get my juices flowing, and it was Jodi's card to the rescue!

The image is part of the new Stampin Up! Love You Bunches stamp set, and the greeting is a rub-on from the upcoming Hostess Level 3 bundle. I placed the red heart brad over the stamped image of a heart that is positioned above the birds' heads. The ribbon is from SU's Holiday Mini Catalog, and the striped DP is from the current Hostess Level 1 Patterns Pack. It's Kraft, so it meets the challenge!

Now onto Challenge #2...

It's New Year's Eve!

It's hard to believe, but 2008 is officially coming to a close. It's been a tough year in some ways for us, and most certainly for some friends who have suffered health issues and the loss of loved ones, and for many others who are suffering through this dismal recession. I'm praying for a better year for all of us in 2009!

Surprise, surprise, I've actually made a couple of Valentine cards IN ADVANCE! This is amazing since I pretty much missed out on Christmas cards this year. The reason for this boon of productivity, of course, is that I've been a SAHM since noon on Dec 23 (the winter break from work), so I've had lots of time in my craft room. It's been pure bliss!

This card is for the CPS 97 Sketch. All of the materials are by Stampin Up, mainly from the Love You Much bundle, which is now available. You've simply got to take advantage of this deal and save 20%!

That's it for today. I've got to get back to Winter Cleaning. We aren't going out for New Year's Eve tonight. I'm honestly not into celebrating New Year's Eve. But I do enjoy getting up New Year's Day and watching the Rose Parade. Whatever you do to celebrate, have fun and be safe!

Merry Christmas!

I finally made one Christmas card, so I had to share it before Christmas is actually over. I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Recipe:
Stamps: Stampin Up A Cardinal Christmas, Greeting by Papertrey Ink
Paper: Papertrey Ink Ripe Avocado and Smooth White cardstock; Me and My Big Ideas DP (it's actually got a fuzzy texture... so cool!)
Ink: Ranger Archival Jet Black and Copic Markers; berries dotted with white Signo gel pen
Accessories: Prima poinsettias with dots of Gold Stickles in the centers

Give Thanks

Finally, a card! I got the inspiration for this card from Stampin Up's Autumn Vine DSP, and I love the the way it turned out! The colors are Baja Breeze, Really Rust, Chocolate Chip and Creamy Caramel. The dots around the tree branches were also inspired by the paper. If you don't have this paper, you must get it before the Holiday Mini Catalog expires.

Large images, such as this from Season of Friendship, are hard for me because they take up so much room on the card front, there isn't a whole lot you can do (or maybe it's just me!). After the image was stamped, I spent quite a bit of time fiddling around with design ideas for the rest of the card. First, I came up with the label from the Curly Label Punch Bundle. "Give Thanks" came from a retired SU set Fancy Flexible Phrases (at least, I think that's what it's called... I'm too lazy to get up and go look)... it's similar to the current Everyday Flexible Phrases. Turns out they are the perfect size for this label!

I then added the Baja Breeze striped ribbon because I just can't make a card without adding ribbon! {LOL}

The card still seemed too plain to me, which is when I got the idea for the photo corners. With the points of the leaves, I think it was a good call.

I was hoping to get more Thanksgiving cards done, but time is running out. I'm going to have to start working on Christmas cards soon. Besides the zoo and holiday boutique, and then recovering from the boutique (i.e., catching up on chores around the house), all of which have severely cramped my stamping time, my dad and his wife paid a (sort of) surprise visit. They live in Mississippi and came out west to visit my dad's brothers in AZ, and decided to continue west to California to see me and my family and my brother. It was wonderful to have them here for five whole days. I don't get to spend nearly enough time with my dad and Wanda, living so far apart. My kids get a kick out of Grandad... he's sort of a novelty to them. And Wanda is the most wonderful lady who has truly transformed my dad over the past 10 years. I miss my mother like crazy, but out of great tragedy, God gave us a blessing in the form of Wanda and the influence she has had on my dad, and what that has meant to all of us.

I hope to get some stamping done this weekend, although now that Dad and Wanda are gone, I again need to catch up with chores and get ready for Thanksgiving. No rest for the wicked.

Thanks for stopping by!

Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #59 and Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #35

This is my attempt at Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #59. I tried the "craft white ink on Kraft cardstock" look that Pine has made so popular... which seemed only right since I used her Rustic Branches set by Papertrey Ink!

Besides the white craft ink, I used Spring Moss cardstock and swiss dot ribbon, plus Dark Chocolate ink for the berries in the main image. That cool button is one I picked up at a little shop in Vancouver on Granville Island. Boy, was that ever a great trip! I LOVE Vancouver.

I would only use such a special button for a special friend. I'm sending this card to Marianne, who lost her husband one week ago today. It's been a tough week, and she still has a lot of grieving to do, but I will stand by her and be there for her, as will many others. She loves my cards, so I think I'll have to make sure she gets regular deliveries!

Recipe:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Rustic Branches
Paper: Stampin Up Kraft, Papertrey Ink Spring Moss and white cardstock
Ink: Stampin Up White Craft, Papertrey Ink Spring Moss and Dark Chocolate
Accessories: Papetrey Ink Spring Moss swiss dot ribbon

For Taylor's Cupcake Challenge #35, I made this quick and easy card. It was super easy because Taylored Expressions Birthday Girl Key Ingredients has everything you need to make a cute card! The only things I added were the little flower ribbon slide behind the bow, which is part of the Stampin Up Hodgepodge Hardware styled silver collection. The cupcake image is also by Stampin Up. I stamped it first with Ranger Archival Jet Black ink, and then colored it in with my Stampin Up Pink Passion (I think that's the one) marker for the "cup" and sprinkles, and my Copic markers for the rest. The sentiment is part of Stamp a Sweet Impression Sweet Celebration set, which I stamped in SU Basic Brown. I also used a bit of Pastel Raspberry Liquid Pearls. to "frost" the cupcake. Sweet!

Since I've given you the recipe in the description above, I won't repeat it here. The dryer buzzer is about to go off (story of my life), so I need to go. Thanks for stopping by!

Wedding Card

My husband asked me to get a gift for two of his former student athletes who recently married. I ended up with a gift card to Target (they were registered there, and I just couldn't make up my mind which item to get that was left on their wish list). But I decided to make them a card since I don't think I've ever made a wedding card.

I hadn't tried one of the SCS Weekly Sketch Challenges in awhile, so I thought I'd give it a try... only, of course, I'm always behind. This was last week's sketch!

I also wanted to try my new Essential Glue Pad... and, boy, does it ever work like a charm! Just check out the detail in the hearts. I love it!

Both hearts were stamped with the Essential Glue Pad, sprinkled with glitter, cut out and mounted with Dimensionals. The background panel is DP stamped with the berry accent stamp in the Always set. The greeting is by Verve... perfect for this card!

Recipe:
Stamps: Stampin Up Always, Verve Anniversary Birds
Ink: Papertrey Ink Lavender Moon
Paper: Papertrey Ink Lavender Moon, white cardstock, Basic Grey Euphoria DP
Accessories: Essential Glue Pad, Stampin Up glitter, Kaiser Crafts pearls

Today is 9/11. I still remember, like everyone else does, where I was when I heard about the attacks and the shock of it all... the sadness, the fear, the anger. I still grieve for those lost, and I think about how profoundly we've all been changed by that terrible event. I am very grateful for the many blessings in my life, and I don't take it for granted one little bit.

Thanks for stopping by. I should have another post tomorrow before I leave for Atlanta for a conference on Saturday.

Take care, and God Bless America!

Taylor's Cupcake Challenge #32

I always look forward to Taylor's weekly Cupcake Challenge... the sketches are always a lot of fun, and the entries are fabulous! Plus, I... like everyone else...love cupcakes! This week, I used my new Cupcake wheel from Stampin Up to create my stamped panel, colored them with my Copic markers, and used my Signo White gel pen for accents here and there. Since I'm "right-brain challenged," I usually pick my paper first and then use the colors to guide me... works like a charm every time!

Recipe:
Stamps: Stampin Up Cupcake wheel
Paper: K&Company DP, SU Rose Red carstock, Papertrey Ink Dark Chocolate and white cardstock
Ink: Ranger Archival Jet Black ink pad (I rolled my wheel across it to pick up the ink), Copic Markers, Signo white gel pen
Accessories: Papertrey Ink Dark Chocolate ribbon

I can't wait for my new stamp sets to come from Taylored Expressions. I ordered all three of her first stamp set releases (so cute!), plus the three Key Ingredients paper and accessories packs this weekend. (I splurged because I sold lots of stamp sets on eBay, so I figure I can treat myself a little!) I'm lucky that Pasadena is pretty close to Riverside, so I should have my goodies soon to play with... just in time for fun Halloween cards and projects. I might even have to try out for Taylor's Top Chef Challenge, although I'm quite sure I don't stand a chance... but it will be fun anyway!