Happy Halloween!!!

Hey everyone! Just sneaking in quickly on a gorgeous Saturday morning here to wish you a Happy Halloween and share with you my Mojo Monday card of the week. :) Yesterday I had a helluva day and decided at the very last minute....around 6 PM to be exact, to get some stamping therapy with a good friend over at Archiver's. I had just received my Holly Jolly set from Verve earlier this week and just couldn't wait to get it inky! I chose the color scheme based on the latest Moxie Fab Challenge to use rich plum hues. And I really had some visions of grandeur for this card...I had it all planned how it was going to look and what I was going to use and just nothing worked out the way I planned! BUMMER! So I'm not altogether thrilled with how it turned out, but at least I had a good time.

*Not stamping related*
I just had to share my latest Itunes download with you! As you may (or may not!) know, I'm a huge fan of So You Think You Can Dance and I was lucky to attend the tour from Season 5 this past Tuesday evening. One of my favorite routines by the uber talented Emmy award winner, Mia Michaels was performed and I immediately went home to download the song, Koop Island Blues. What a GREAT stamping song!! Love the jazzy, French, romantic feel of it. Check out the routine! LOVE IT!

PS. Let the video download first!


Enjoy!

Taylor's Friday Sketch

And another Friday has snuck upon us. I welcome you with open arms Friday!!! This means Taylored Expressions has another sketch to challenge you with. Can you handle it? :)


And since this is the LAST day before Halloween of the year...and the last day you will have to endure Halloween projects from me.... BAM!


I actually made this card to go with the treats my son will be giving to his classmates in his kinder class. Here are the treats (I hadn't finished making them all yet, so this is just a sampling)


And here is a picture of the card with a treat! The card will go to his teacher, whom we adore, Mrs. Wolff.

The treat bags are actually from Martha Stewart, and I filled them with little knick knacks (not candy) fun for 5 year olds. :)

I used Taylored Expressions Spooky Expressions set all over this card. The spiders were stamped on the patterned paper (Boo to You by My Mind's Eye) and the large web was stamped on the white piece that I cut out with my Slice.

Allow me to provide you with more inspiration for this frightful weekend challenge!

Monika Davis: M.A.D. Stamper
Lisa Hjulberg: The Craft's Meow
Lynn Mercurio: Stamperosity
Jackie Pedro: The Scalloped Edge
Jami Sibley: More is More
Sherrie Siemens: Card Creme
Rachel Sztonyk: Gingerbread Gallery
Alice Lihsuan-Wertz: Alice's Little Wonderland


In Stamping mode supplies
Stamps: Spooky Expressions
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie
Paper: Choice White, Whisper White, Boo to You by My Mind's Eye, Doilie by Wilton
Accessories: Licorice Spritz, Black Tulle, Noteworthy design card, Prismacolor pencils, Copics, Stardust Stickles, Scalloped Scallop punch by EK Success, Orange grosgrain, black button

Hope you have a spooooky and frightfully fun Halloween! :)

Ok let's Make Merry again

It's a quickie Clean and Simple Tuesday! I hadn't participated in the Clean and Simple challenges over on Splitcoast for a while, so I decided to make a go at it. I wanted a no layer card that would come together quickly with minimal fuss....yeah! This one's another Stampin' Up! only card utilizing the Berry Christmas set and red brads.

Not stamping related but I just had to share! My son, who will be 6 in February, said the funniest thing the other day. Well, not too terribly funny, but a little thought-provoking. You know back in our day when we rode around in cars that didn't have automatic windows and you actually had to roll them down? Well, the other day in the car, my son asked me, "mom, can you SCROLL down the window?" Get it?? SCROLL down...as if you were scrolling down the page of a window on your computer with your mouse. It just made me think...man, this is just one of many terms our children won't "get" because of the advancement of technology. I thought it was pretty clever of him to say scroll though! LOL! On the plus side, he has become so much more cognizant of feelings....other people's feelings...his feelings...you name it! It's really just transformed him into such a caring and gentle young boy. I'm tickled pink. I'm adoring all the hugs, cuddles, and "i love you's" he's giving so freely. Please...don't let that end....

PS. I've recently met a new friend through the cyberworld that I just adore and wanted to share with you her new blog! She makes gorgeous jewelry so give her some lovin' over on her blog if you looooove jewelry, (who doesn't!??) THE JEWELRY GEEK

Make Merry!

I typically try and do a Stampin' Up! only card...as a challenge to myself, and boy was I rusty! It's been a loooong time since I've done one, so I made it a goal this week to accomplish. I'm tellin' you people...it was rough! I've had sets from the new mini as well as the new Ornament Punch AND Christmas dsp just yearning to be used, LOL! Ok, bear with me....here it is!


Inspiration for the sketch came straight from the latest Splitcoast Sketch Challenge. I've got to admit though...I get BIG TIME inspiration from Melissa Phillip's blog and this is the card that I got the bow treatment on the ornaments from HERE. Fabulousness, huh?? I meant her card, not mine. :)

Anywho...are you looking at the ornament and thinking, "ummm, Melissa, that's not an ornament from the set." Girl! It is! This is the "To and From" ornament from the set. See that diagonal striped dsp in the background of the card? Well, what I did was stamp the ornament on the UNDERside of the dsp and then cut out the To and From parts, flipped it over and adhered it to the top of the ornament. Clever, yes?! I also added some Dazzling Diamonds to the vanilla stripes for sparkle. Hope you SUO fans out there like it!

Have a great weekend and thanks so much for getting, "in stamping mode."

TE Sketch Challenge Day

So today is my first day posting as part of the Taylored Expressions Sketch Crew and I'm soooo excited!!! If you've been to my blog before, you've seen me do her other sketch challenges many a time! :) So without further ado, here is the sketch for this week!



And this is my take on it.


Such an adorable sketch, yes?! Want to play along? Be sure to visit the Taylored Expressions blog and submit your card to Mr. Linky. She will be choosing her top ten "Top Crops" and feature them on her blog the following week. That could be you!! Need a little more inspiration? Make sure and stop by the rest of the Sketch Crews blogs to see their most adorable creations. And while you're there, leave a little piece of you behind in a comment....we all loooooove the comments!! :)

Monika Davis: M.A.D. Stamper
Lisa Hjulberg: The Craft's Meow
Lynn Mercurio: Stamperosity
Jackie Pedro: The Scalloped Edge
Jami Sibley: More is More
Sherrie Siemens: Card Creme
Rachel Sztonyk: Gingerbread Gallery
Alice Lihsuan-Wertz: Alice's Little Wonderland

Stamping Mode Materials
Stamps: Merry & Bright and Cute and Curly by Stampin' Up!
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Memento Tuxedo Black, Riding Hood Red
Paper: Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Eskimo Kisses by Basic Grey, Choice Snow White, Wild Wasabi textured
Accessories: Twill by Wright's, Nestabilities scalloped circle, Basic Grey bling, Copics, Epoxy hearts by Cloud 9, Cosmo glitter by SU, Small oval punch, Snowflakes Cuttlebug embossing folder, Cotton Candy Sparkly Fluff

Card Positioning Systems and Shimmerz

Did you see over on the Card Positioning Systems blog that Shimmerz is the sponsor there??? Love their sketches over there and they always have such amazing samples! Well, when I found out that Shimmerz was sponsoring I just HAD to play along. :)
Here's a lookie at the sketch


And here is my take on it!

I used black pigment ink on my chipboard letters and let it dry and then spritzed those babies up with Licorice Spritz. Oh my goodness I LOVE the look it gives! I don't know about you, but I love to put glitter on my chipboard. Problem with doing that is, it's hard to stick ANYTHING else on top of that...because...well, nothing sticks to glitter very well! With the Shimmerz on the chipboard, I get all of that shimmery effect AND I can still adhere something on top of it, SCOOORE! I also used a little Island Salsa Blingz to the rust color of the candy corn because it was such a great match! Here's a closeup.


This picture honestly does not do it any justice. You're just gonna have to take my word on how shimmery and sparkly this card is. :)

All of the patterned paper is from the Boo to You! paper kit by My Mind's Eye. I did stamp the little spiders from Hero Arts Owl-Oween set and of course, I used my Slice to cut some of the shaped papers you see on the card. Can I just say that I am lovin' my Slice! Oh yeah, I used the Noteworthy design card, fyi!

Also...no comments from the peanut gallery on my horribad stitching. Yeah....I meant to do that on purpose...that's right! That's my final word and I'm stickin' to it!

Hope you have a great day and I so appreciate you for stopping by to visit to get, "in stamping mode."

PS. Have you seen my big news HERE???? I am just beyond thrilled and can't wait to share with you these sketches every Friday morning, WOOHOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The trend is ruffles

When I imagine ruffles in my head (aside from the obvious yummy chips,) I think of pink, feminine layers of fabric and ribbon perfectly placed atop each other, building up to a petticoat of fluffy goodness. Ahhh....just thinking of that brings such serene and simple thoughts. :) When I saw that making a project with ruffles was the challenge over on the Moxie Fab World blog, I just jumped at the chance to make something! I used the latest Mojo Monday sketch as a sounding board and went from there. :) Oh my goodness I just love looking at this card! LOL! It's just so girly and pink...love it!

I used white cardstock for my card base and the patterned paper is from the Sultry pack by Basic Grey. The greeting is from Verve's Wishful Elegance. Prima pearls and flowers as accents and chipboard from Technique Tuesday which I spritzed with Bed of Roses Shimmerz Spritz. Oh yeah! I bought some Diamond Dust and that's what I used to cover the chipboard with...my goodness I'm a glitter fanatic, I know! haha

Ok, off to enjoy the rest of a beautiful Saturday here in the Austin area. Hope you are having a beautiful day wherever you are! :)

PS. Put on your petticoats and be sure to go back to the Moxie Fab blog and see everyone else's ruffle-filled submissions!

Happy Fright Night

And a frightful night it was indeed. I don't know why I'm going to blog about this, but allow me to just free-flow-thought this. My ritual every night consists of dinner, sneak in a little computer time, and then tucking my kiddos in for bed. My husband puts baby bear to sleep in her crib while I tuck in our 5 year old son. The routine consists of tickles until he has to "pee in his pants," a brief chat about whatever's on his mind...it's usually consists of really weird questions, reminding him to behave and do his best at school tomorrow, and then sleep. And yes...I usually fall asleep with him..GO ME! Tonight was different, however...I had other things on my mind *cough* finishing this card *cough* and didn't want to fall asleep. So as I'm blissfully watching my son fall to his slumber, I see him proceed to slowly lift up his PJ pants with his left hand, and then quickly slide his right hand under. WHAAAT?!?! Already?!?!? Is there really a need to nestle those so early?! Needless to say, my blissful adoration of his innocence was quickly interrupted. I still love that boy though! :)



So this is another submission for the Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge. Ok, I tried to really stick more closely to the sketch, but I think I ventured further than the last one! I just HAVE to say that I had to use Shimmerz, once again, on my project. My fabric was stark white and I wanted it to be closer to black/gray. Here goes my handy dandy Shimmerz mini Spritz in Licorice ALL OVER! I also painted Vintage Wine on the skirt. Striking in person and a visual just for you!


All stamps used on this card are from Taylored Expressions...Punchy Potions AND Spooky Expressions and they coordinated PERFECTLY together! I did a little happy dance...oh yes I did. :)

Tomorrow is my Weight Watchers meeting. I've been at goal for a while now and I've already been to my October meeting for the month. Not going tomorrow though...and I'm gonna LIKE IT!

It only happens once a year

Ok, a lot of things only happen once a year, but in this case, it's a snowman in Texas! LOL! Ok, so that may not happen at all this year, but one can hope. :)

I created this card for the latest Taylored Expressions sketch challenge and this one is extra special, as it is a submission piece for a new sketch crew! I whipped out more of my October Afternoon Christmas kit and tried my hand. Here is what I came up with.


With so many 3d effects going on with my card, I also wanted my little snowman to stand out. To do this, I applied Angel Wings Shimmerz right onto that kraft cardstock and look how fantastic it turned out! That white is entirely from the shimmerz and it shows up fantastic. Of course, a close up for your viewing pleasure. :)


Hope you've enjoyed! I need to wake up my little bear from her nap and go grocery shopping. Going with both kids... WISH ME LUCK!

I wear pink

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and I am showing my support along with the rest of the Shimmerz galz. Won't you join us in showing your pink? :) How about showing some pink for prizes?? That's right! Upload your pink Shimmerz projects to the Shimmerz Flickr Gallery and each of us will get to pick our favorite projects to win something pink (and shimmery!) :) I know each one of us has been affected in some way, shape, or form by this, so let's create! Don't worry if you don't have a stamp set specifically created for this...be creative and make what you can! Here is a little something I created to give to a friend who's mother is battling it.


I really wanted to make those pink ribbons shimmer in the dress, so I used Pink Shimmerz and I also wanted my top Chipboard heart to shimmer (rather than sparkle) so that I could adhere down a rhinestone. Did you know you could paint Shimmerz on, just like paint, to chipboard?? I painted my top heart with Angel Wings Shimmerz and it looks just perfect!!

I used Mercy's sketch challenge for inspiration....because I am almost lost without a sketch to work from, LOL!
Oh, and I successfully got my flu shot yesterday afternoon. By the early evening, I already felt like someone had punched me in the arm! I even vigorously massaged and worked (well stamped with) my arm to prevent the soreness. Oh well, I'm a big girl and can handle it. :) hah!
Ok, here's some deets on the card if you are interested.
All images are from the Flourishes set called Fight Like a Girl. The base cardstock is Kraft stamped with white craft ink. I then stamped the main image in brown Memento ink onto Choice Buttercream cardstock and colored with Copics. I wanted to continue the theme of loops by using my Loops corner and border punch by Martha Stewart. Topped with some luscious pink grosgrain and accessories, and I was done! Hope you enjoyed it and I look forward to seeing your submissions in the Shimmerz gallery! Happy Stamping!

Deck the Halls...in October

I love the rain! It's been raining quite a bit here in Austin...and we need it BAD! I've been thoroughly enjoying the dim afternoons, late evening storms, and the overall feelings that fall brings. Although the air may not be crisp here yet, I'm certainly looking forward to it! With that, I was in the mood for a Christmas card. I got a new Christmas pack and stamps from October Afternoon called Good Cheer and I finally got to play with it.


I think these colors together are just adorable for Christmas! A bit non-traditional, but different is good, right? :)

For inspiration, I used the latest Mojo Monday sketch. And....of course I used my Slice again here to cut out the ornament using the Misteltoe design card.


I'm off to get my flu shot today...and I'm just itching to get that H1N1 vaccination as well. I've been reading a lot about it lately, and even though I consider myself to be in "good health," it's no joke! Keep yourselves healthy out there!

What I did on World Card Making day

I stamped and actually made 3 cards!! Ok, I really made 2 yesterday and finished the 3rd today. :) These cards were simple and sweet and I got to use my Slice on all three!! I used Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge for inspiration on these cards and with an easy sketch, it lent itself to easy cards!

For my "Scary" card, I had the Slice cut out the word and then I used the negative image so that you could see the word coming through the patterned paper. Accented with a white gel pen and a Making Memories Spook Alley charm with black hemp, and was done!

For my "Creepy" card, I had my Slice cut out the decorative square on my patterned piece and then I cut it out again with black cardstock 1/2" smaller. I then had my Slice cut out the word "creepy," which I covered with glitter and adhered down. Add a little more gel pen as the border and another card down!

And finally for my last card, I used my favorite Labels 1 die and new Vintage Labels stamp set from Papertrey. The "Boo!" was cut out using my Slice again in Pumpkin cardstock and then I covered it with Fine Cosmo orange glitter. The bat was stamped from Taylored Expression's Spooky Expressions set and then cut and covered with Eyeliner Black Sparkly Fluff. Easy peasy!!

Patterned paper was used from Making Memories Spook Alley line and American Crafts Halloween Costume Party.


So were you able to get any cards done on World Card Making day? I hope so! I definitely think I'm going to be ahead of the game on Halloween cards this year! I'm already ready to mail them out, lol!

Thanks for stopping by and getting, "in stamping mode." :)

So sorry!!

I meant to post yesterday with my big news, but I'm having to delay a bit until some goodies I'm expecting in the mail (for you!) to come in. In a nutshell, I hit my 1 year anniversary of blogging on September 30th!! I can't believe I'm still doing it, ROFL! It actually feels like I just started this blog yesterday. So we will delay the Blogaversary candy until I get my goodies in the mail. :)

I also can't just post something without a pretty picture, so I have this for you!


Sweet baby Ava was Baptized on September 20, 2009 and I needed the perfect card to celebrate this joyous occasion. Why did I use purple for my card, you ask?? Well, I'm so glad you asked! It was the color of the gift bag, lol! I plan on putting the card outside the bag in a clear envelope for presentation.

I'm tellin' ya...I have certainly been in "vintage mode" lately! Have I said how much I love the new vintage Shimmerz colors?? Let me tell you, I spritzed Treasured Hymn all over my stamped image as well as to the glittered chipboard. I absolutely adore the aged look it gave to everything. I also painted Butter cream Shimmerz to the gown. Just BEE U TEE FULL!

My inspiration for layout came from the latest Sketch Challenge #248 over at Splitcoast. I used Whisper White for my card base and all designer paper came from the Wisteria paper pack by Basic Grey. The flowers are from Prima and I used the Buggies & Booties (retired) stamp set from Stampin' Up! I hope you enjoyed it and cross your fingers with me that some goodies come to my door soonish! :)