Sweet Sixteen...

My sister Megan turned 16 a week ago today. SO, if you've felt a little nervous while on the roadways in Western Iowa, that could be part of the explanation! Another 16 year old on the loose! Here is the card I made her:





I really like the way this card turned out - bright, cheery, perky! Just like a sixteen year old, right? I used the FTL81 from the Clean & Simple Stamping Blog for my sketch, with some adjustments - I didn't let any of the circles "fall off" the page as I really wanted to use the jumbo brads. I think they worked great..... The card base is actually the Melon Mambo that you see in the center of the circles. I stamped the white circles from the Circle Circus set in the holes. The medallion is from Vintage Labels set that is in the Sale-A-Bration catty, it's embossed with black EP to keep everything shinin'. I liked how the ring of circles (that you can barely see around the white) coordinate with the pattern in the brads. I felt as tho something was kinda missing tho - almost too clean for me *GASP!* - and decided to:



....add the black ribbon and bow at the top.....It set it off just the way I wanted it too....yeah, I'm patting myself on the back.....

And, to keep you up to date on life on the farm.....we still have snow - the drifts in our front yard just don't seem to melt. Here is my hubby (who stands 6'3") standing by the drift that never ends. This is the drift that you've seen in many photos over the winter. The pic was taken 3/23/10 (last Thursday) when we were out cleaning up tree branches. Lots and lots of tree branches! At one point this winter - for a good two months actually - we couldn't even see those bushes behind the drift...So I know the drift was 10 -12 ft high at least! It has continued to melt over the weekend, and is now about 3 ft. high....it's just taking it's own sweet time.

We made 4 huge piles in the front yard, making a great "bird's nest" for two little boys!

Will took his job seriously and was moving sticks like he really was a bird! Crazy kid....

Unfortunately for my little birds, their nest was burned yesterday, along with the 4 other piles we had. Now we need to move on to the other branches and trees that are all over the lawn - my hubby is loving the massive amounts of yard we have this spring (approx 3 acres) and the gazzilion trees on it.....and the fact that I'm less than two weeks from having a baby (hopefully!) so I'm not much help at all. If those boys were 5 years older.....I'll regret saying that I know! So, there is your update.

Hope you enjoyed my card - it is what you came here for after all - right!

It's never to early to think about your Mother!

Had a great lesson today - NEVER, EVER walk away from your stampin' table without first putting your markers or your projects UP!

Not even for a second.

Not even to wipe your 4 year old's butt.


Not with a two year old in the house.


Who is awake.

And naughty.

It won't have a good outcome, and you'll end up regretting it. And here is proof:

See that nicely colored image underneath the scribbling? Yep, I'd been working on that....and got called away. I'd put the lids on my markers, got up from my table, and attended to my 4 year old to come back to that! Alex managed to pull the lids off my markers and have some fun coloring in his own fashion. I couldn't even say a whole lot to him, because when I got back in the room his first words were, "See...niiiicccce!" And I hate to discourage creativity....This is why I generally work only during nap time and bed time!

Yep - I'd stamped 4 of them on a page and my intentions were to die cut them after I had them colored....Needless to say - I just started all over at a later time.

When the 2 year old was sleeping.

Soundly.

It all worked out in the end, and I really {heart} my end result:

Yes, yes, that's PURPLE that you see, well, Perfect Plum to be exact. But it's in the purple family. Can you believe it??? I used my Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, (Big Shot - see, you just gotta have one!) to do the embossing. The floral image I colored (twice!), then die cut with the Big Shot (what did I tell you??) and used some Nestabilities - oval and scalloped oval. The sentiment is from All Holidays. There is a "Happy Mother's Day" Sentiment in the Messages for Mom set (where the floral image came from) but it's pretty simple, and I thought this card needed something with a little more. Oh yeah, that would be Old Olive ribbon behind the floral image - using my new favorite ribbon tying technique - just tie an end off with some linen thread. Easy!

So, what do you think? Was it worth the effort of redoing??? Leave me a comment - let me know!

Hang in there.....

Today, I've created a card for my cousin's one year old son, Grady. He's been suffering from a sinus infection for several weeks (or so they thought), that ended up affecting one of his eyes, causing it to swell and turn bloody. After some testing, and more tests to be run this week, the doctors are still unclear as to what his problem really is. He's got a tumor behind his eye that will be biopsied this week, and he'll also have a bone marrow scan. I just feel horrible for the little guy. He's such a cutie, and has such a good attitude all the time. Please, find it in your heart to say a prayer for little Grady, we'd really appreciate it.
In the meantime, here is a card I'm sending him:
This cute little monkey fits Grady's personality, all adorable like him. This card uses the sketch from the Stamping 411 site. I turned it on it's side, and opted for buttons instead of a ribbon since my card was for a boy. The background patterned paper is from the Sweet Pea Paper pack. There are so many awesome papers in this pack of paper, and it truly is a steal!

I hand wrote the sentiment. Wish I had a stamp that said that..... The leaves/branches are from the Two Step Bird punch. I used a two way glue pen to glue them down. The branch that the monkey hangs from, I didn't glue the center down, so that I could hang the monkey. The body of the monkey is popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by, and please pray for Grady!

Spring Layers!

Well, the sun is shining - finally, and it feels like spring is in the air. (Even tho we still have a 5 foot high snow drift in our front yard!) Here's the card that we did at our March Stamp Clubs - using that same Layered Brayer tech. that I showed you yesterday. This one uses 3 layered colors instead of just two.
We added those cute little Epoxy brads - in Choc. Chip - my fave! as flower centers. Pretty darn adorable if I do say so myself.

See that - my new favorite ribbon technique.

Alright - seems as tho my dearest sweet hubby thinks I need to help him with something - or just get off the computer.......anyone else have a spouse as sweet as mine???? :)

Happy St. Pat's Day....

...and with that I'm gonna show you an Easter project. One that we did at my Stamp Clubs this month....

I found this cute little basket on someone else's blog, and now, for the life of me, I can't find the originator to give proper credit to....so if you know where I found it, please let me know so I can give credit.

Edited to add: Found the original design for this box - and it's super cute, so you need to check it out. Here's the link to Robin Merriman lovely box. It's so stinkin' cute, I can hardly "contain" myself!!! I didn't LOVE the Spring DSP in the mini, and then I saw this box - she made me like it - a lot!

This month, my clubs worked on the layered brayer technique - which is shown in the side panels. This is pretty simple, but a little time consuming. A little. First off - you stamp your image in Versamark on glossy cardstock, then emboss with clear EP. Next, you brayer on your lightest color - here it was So Saffron. Wipe with a kleenex so the embossed image turns white again. Then, cover up what you want to remain So Saffron with sticky notes, and brayer again with your next darkest color - here, Cameo Coral, then wipe again. You can do this a third time with another darker color if you want. We didn't - not on this project anyway.

The basket was created by cutting 2 fancy favor boxes with the Big Shot ( you seriously need one of these handy little machines!), assemble them, then sticky strip them together. Create the handle with 2 pieces of cardstock (I embossed with my Big Shot -see, very helpful), tacking one on each side inside of the assembled boxes. Punch the holes for handles. Really - pretty easy and pretty stinkin' cute! Last, decorate as desired. We used that adorable little chick from A Good Egg.....

Whatcha think of it?

Hello....again!

Sorry for my disappearance from the ol' bloggo....I've been struggling with my photo editing program, and so, while a cute little 2 year old used my budda belly for a pillow during his nap today, I sat here with my laptop, and got 'er all figured out (I hope!). Plus I couldn't resist some good snuggle time with little Alex. He's only sweet to me once in a while, and I'll take it whenever he gives it up!
Anywhooooo....it's not that I haven't been doing anything.....although, I have slowed down quite a bit! Somedays the baby just wears me out. Funny how I keep telling my hubby that I can't wait for this baby to show up so I can sleep good at night! The other night I didn't sleep a wink, so therefore my stamping time was turned into nap time - and it must have been needed - I took a two hour nap!!!! Now, I'll just hope that the baby will be a good sleeper! My boys both were, and I'm a nursing mama, so that seems to help with sleep - no bottles to prepare in the middle of the night, just get up, diaper, feed, and go back to sleep! I'm gearing up!

Okay - on with the show, right?
This card features an emboss resist tech, and a masking tech all in one shot....
First, I cut a sticky note with my Big Shot using a Nestie die. FYI - you need to stick the sticky note to a scrap of cardstock or it's too thin for the die to cut thru. Stick your sticky note on your card front where you want it to remain white. Then, those cute little butterflies were stamped with versamark, I used white EP, and heated them up. Keep your sticky note in place, and sponge on the color (Cameo Coral here). I use a wiping motion when I sponge on the color. Once you have the color the way you want it, remove the sticky note. Now, you can stamp in your white space.

On this one, I used the flower from Hello Again (which you can earn free thru Sale-A-Bration!). I inked it up with my SU markers - Taken with Teal, Cameo Coral, and Old Olive. The "hello" sentiment is also in Taken w/ Teal, but I stamped it off once first. I also used my Coral marker and faux stitched around the white space.......

Let me know what you think......can you tell what's missing from this card (for a card done by me anyway!)????

Tripled up birthday....

My workshops this month are focusing on different ways to watercolor. I actually broke out my pastels for this card!
I hadn't used my pastels for a long time, so it was good to get them out an play again. They've been lonely! This sketch is from Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch, but I was too late to play.
Oh well.....

I really like this years offering of Sale-A-Bration stamp sets. I keep turning to the Vintage Labels (above) and the Happy Moments sets. One reason, I like to color in things....it's therapy for me.

Here, I just used a blender pen and my pastels.

In the end, I think the card is pretty clean and simple. And it sure uses a lot of Sale-A-Bration items - Happy Moments, Vintage Labels, and that super new Scallop Trim punch! Tell me - what is YOUR favorite Sale-A-Bration item????

More Mojo - Baby Style....

With the baby a mere 5 weeks away from making it's presence into the world, it's time to start thinking about thank you notes and announcements. This isn't always easy since we've never known what we're having, boy or girl. In the past, I've just come up with a simple layout, in neutral colors that I could add pink or blue to during completion. When Alex was born, by that time I was into stamping full gear, so I took my stamps and colors to the hospital with me, and did the coloring while I was in the hospital. That worked great. I'll likely do the same thing this time too.

So, with that same sketch that I used yesterday (Mojo Monday 128), I created a baby themed thank you card. In pink. That's my intuition on this one.....but don't jump to conclusions - we have NO idea what's brewing inside. I'll come up with some in blue too. Just in case. I'd be fine with a boy - after all, we've got all the clothing, toys and mindset for boys around here. But, here's my girly thank you!

I think it's pretty sweet. And was surprised to find that the thank you sentiment from Thank You Kindly fit so nicely in the Modern Label punch. I'm always thrilled when I can punch instead of cut!

That's all folks! I'll be watching it rain today and hopefully melting a lot of snow. Not looking forward to the mud - but at this point, as long as we are one day closer to spring, green grass and 70 degree temps....I'll take the mud!

Have a great day!

Thinking Tree...

....somedays I sure could use a thinking tree....and a money tree.... But, for today, I created this little card with the tree from the Forest Friends Stamp Set. This set reminds me so much of the cute animals in the movie Bambi. I couldn't bring myself to buy the set, because I wasn't sure what I would do with it. Even tho I loved it....I just couldn't justify it. So, I was thrilled when it showed up on the Sale-A-Bration list of free stamps that could be earned! And that's just what I did. And when I got it, I "clear" mounted it right away - it's what I'm doing with any set that only comes wood mounted - I'm making them clear mount.

Looky here too....that favorite color combo of mine for the spring.....I just can't get enough! What is wrong with me? Anyone got a new combo for me to get hooked on??
I used the Mojo Monday sketch 128. I really like this sketch - in fact I have another card to show you tomorrow with the same sketch! The background paper is from the Sweet Pea pack - LOVE IT!!!!! I like how the pattern in the paper is continued with my circle which the tree is stamped.

And....gotta have one of those adorable epoxy brads from the Occasions Mini Catty! I tied my ribbon end with some linen thread, then punched a little hole for the brad to go thru. This area is tacked down with a glue dot.

Oh - and remember I said we had a lot of snow still.....yeah - I'm not at all kidding!

This is the snow fort my hubby built for the boys. It has a top entrance, 2 front entrances, and a side entrance too. If you look in the background really good, you can see my clothesline - look at the top of the snow line...there are 2 lines that run across the picture....that's my clothesline! CRAZY!!! It's been above freezing all week, and so there has been some meltage, but it's gonna be a while for it all to be gone!

And here - Will who stands almost 4 ft tall, can touch the top of the garage with his shovel. Had the drift been up to the garage, he could have just walked onto the roof. I'm so ready for it all to just melt away.

Alrighty folks....I've got some workshops to prepare for. So, check back tomorrow with my other card - same sketch!

Jen

Better late than never....

(this one's for you Tami!) ....I'm not always one to post what we create at my Stamp Clubs. I don't really know why, maybe because I want it to be exclusive to all of those that are in my clubs. And I know I certainly don't want to give away the projects before hand....I love a good surprise! But, it has been requested that I post what we did in Stamp Club by some of the members. This way, when they give away their projects, they have something to refer back to. So, I will begin posting our projects - starting with January. They will be under the Stamp Club Projects label on the right side of the blog for you to refer back to from here on out. And while Tami requested I do this some time ago, and I told her I would....it just got hung up on the back burner........like I said....better late than never!!!! {heart} you Tami!!!!
January was based less on technique and more on theme - an organizing theme....It was January, and you know, most of us make (and break) resolutions - organizing is one of the top resolutions made, next to weight loss. How many have given up on their resolutions already? It is March 2nd after all....The first little gem is a covered post it note. Great for sticking in your purse. Who doesn't have a piece of paper handy when needed???

One of the other things we did was cover a note pad - also suitable for a purse, but great for a desktop - and one that looks cute to boot.

To complete the ensemble, we made a birthday card (cuz we can always use a birthday card!). Plus, this whole little set would make an adorable birthday gift. But it would be wonderful for graduation too!

All of the DSP was from Thoroughly Modern, and we used the I {heart} Lists, Vintage Vogue and Well Scripted Stamp Sets. Just too cha-cha for words, wouldn't you say??? (a line from my all time favorite movie - do you know what it is???)

So there you have the projects we made in January! One of these days I'll get the Feb. items up. And since March is here already, well, I'll get March on here. Maybe before I get February done!!!!

Thanks for stopping all....

Thoughts Away!!!

As I was thumbing thru that cute little FREE paper pack - Welcome Neighbor DSP - it dawned on me when looking at all the cloud patterns, the phrase "you're never more than a thought away" went perfect with this paper. Clouds drifting by, thoughts drifting by....you get the picture....RIGHT??? Both the paper and the stamp set can be earned FREE - they are in the Sale-A-Bration line up. I really like the font used in the word "thought".

And looky there peeps - Kraft paper!!! Who'd a thought?? Mixed with Melon Mambo, Old Olive and that sweet pattern paper. Geez - it's really a pretty clean card too, wouldn't you say? Oh yeah - and did you notice - a little "kiss" from the Occassions Mini - that's the die cut paper that the sentiment is on...

That's all for today folks....

Hi Little Birdie!!!

Those of you that have followed my blog for a while know a few things about me:
1) I love birds and the outdoors
2) I love Kraft paper
3) My new fave color combo is Taken w/ Teal, So Saffron, and Old Olive!

Here I was able to merge of my loves into one card!!!
One thing I really like about this card is all of the texture I was able to incorporate. From the stamped woodgrain background (which ironically is the only thing that is stamped!), to the grosgrain ribbon, to the So Saffron oval, and even the branch and leaves....

This was my first effort using that spanking new XL Bird on a Branch punch (in that fab Occassions mini !!!) It took me quite a while to warm up to the bird, but I've seen amazing things done with it. While I love birds (outside) I find myself struggling using them on cards, etc. Not so much here! This guy is a beauty!

Let me know if you have any questions! I've got major restless leg syndrom going on right now, so I really must end this post. It's a joy I experience during pregnancy! Along with the carpal tunnel, the snoring, ahhh, the pleasures of the third trimester!!! I just have to keep telling myself, only 6 weeks to go.......

Thank you spring...

Today it's almost spring-like! The sun is shining, the snow is melting, and the air is warmer. My thermometer says 48 - but I think it's more like 30. The sun is just nice and warm! I am beginning to think that Spring is really going to make it here!
I kept this one real clean and simple again....I stamped the polka dots in So Saffron on So Saffron (from Polka Dot Basics, PTI), then die cut that shape with a nestie. The floral circle image is stamped with Old Olive ink on Old Olive cardstock, using one of the images from Circle Circus. I stamped this again on a patterned piece of paper from the Welcome Neighbor pattern pack and cut out on single little flower that got adhered over the top of it's counterpart on the Old Olive circle. (Did you know you can earn this FREE with a $50 purchase or with a qualifying workshop??? It's an awesome pack of paper btw!) I added a So Saffron button from the Button Latte collection. I think it was just the jazz this card needed.

I used my horizontal punch to punch slots in the die cut piece so I could slip the Old Olive ribbon thru - satin ribbon that is (my new fave! have you noticed?) I used the same punch to make a small slit in the crease of the card for the ribbon to wind all the way around....Nifty!

To complete the card, I stamped the Thank You sentiment in Melon Mambo to match the little flower. It tied the card all together just the way I imagined....I love whent that happens.

This was a quick one to put together!

Oh Spring, where are you???

I've noticed that the sun is staying high in the sky longer into the evening, and it's coming up a little bit earlier every morning....but I really want all of this snow to go AWAY! On Tuesday I had to call my husband and tell him that he needed to bring the tractor and blade back home, otherwise he wasn't going to make it up our lane, or I wasn't going to make it out! He kind of scoffed at me, but him and his brother went and got the tractor (which was being used on one of the other farms to load corn). He said that he barely got up our hill with his pickup (at 3 in the afternoon), and was airborn going over one of the drifts! I'm sure he loved it - he's a fan of Dukes of Hazard. He got back with the tractor around 5, and said he struggled getting up the lane then. Here's the kicker - it hadn't snowed a single flake - not ONE! The wind was so bad, it was blowing around what it could and had drifted us in. The next morning, I needed to get Will to preschool, and we had to wait for the lane to get opened up - so here's what we saw:
That poof is snow coming out of the snow blower. You can barely see the tractor to the right of the poof - that's our hill. The road looks pretty clear, but I assure you - where it curves (upper left in pic) there was a good size drift I had to go around.

I know I've posted some pics of this lonely little birdhouse before - I would say the drifts behind it are about 15+ feet now. There are some bushes behind them - you just wouldn't know it anymore! And that poor little evergreen in the foreground - well, it's 4 little brothers and sisters are buried for eternity!

So the pic above - while it might look like just a hill - it's not. See that little thing in the middle? Where the bright snow meets the shadowed snow? That's a platform bird feeder that is normally about 5 feet off the ground. It sits just a few feet away from that lonely birdhouse in the previous photo. SO - the day that all of this starts to melt....I think we'll have a lot of mud to contend with....but it'll all be good! And those poor soles on the East Coast think they have it bad - at least their snow melts fairly quickly. I've lived in Connecticut before, I've experience Noreasters - this has been one continuous Noreaster since Dec. 10th! Do not complain New Englanders - you've got it easy! I am glad that the sun has been shining at least!

Well, that's it for the latest weather.....here's what you really came to see!

This little card I dreamed up - literally! at about 3:24am this morning. I think I layed awake in bed for about an hour thinking of how I was going to work this one....I ALMOST got up at 4:15 when I was still awake and just put it together. But I didn't. (I'm pretty sure my body is starting to prepare me for getting up in the night with the baby!)

I offset the inside to mimic the outside.

I just love that saying....

OH - and here's the outside in it's entirety:

You could say it's VERY clean and simple! I like the fact that it sticks with basic stamping, and I colored with SU! markers (Cameo Coral, Old Olive and Close to Cocoa). The "LOVE is die cut with Nestabilities as is the Cameo Coral scalloped oval behind it. The ribbon is the snazzy satin ribbon in Old Olive - found in the current mini catalog. I've almost used an entire roll of this stuff, I just love it so much! Then I stamped the little heart in the corner for a touch of sweetness. The one thing I love about this card - it's a love card, but it's not Valentiney (yes, that is a word - I know Mr. Webster used it all the time!).

What do you think??? I love when you leave me comments, so feel free to do so!

Hey there cupcake...

Really super quick post today - anyone notice what my new fave color is to work with?? Taken with Teal. Have no fear - Kraft is still one of my all time faves, but I'm needing some brightness in my life!
I CASED this card from the Stampin' Success mag that demonstrators get, except, I did change it up quite a bit. Their sample wasn't a card, and the pattern was on top, and no scallop trim punching....so I mixed it up, and I like to do that when I CASE something. I want it to be my own still.

I did watercolor the wrapper of the cupcake - stamped on watercolor paper and used Stazon. And I actually broke out my aqua painters for this cutie. I'm not real skilled with the aqua painters, and need a lot of practice.

Aren't those little beads adorable?

Inside says: Hope your day is the sweetest ever! Happy Birthday!

Alright - must go!

Hey Chickie....

Here's my little jump start on Easter! I saw the Fall-to Layout #79 on the Clean & Simple Stamping Blog, and instantly knew this little chickie needed to be center stage for this card! I love this layout - right up my alley!!!!
I did a little paper piecing for the egg, it's a wonderful way to use up some of those scrap pieces that I've got; all of which I used here are scraps from the Sweet Pea Collection. Have I mentioned what a great bargain that paper pad is? It's like getting 4 packs of DSP for slightly above the price of two. And the paper is so stinkin' cute, you just can't go wrong. Seriously people - you need this paper in your stash!

There's that little chickie - isn't she so cute??? Yes, this one is a she - hello - pink egg!!

And this chickie is clearly a boy!!!!

I made up several of these cards (selling on my Etsy shop!). They are not only clean and simple, they are quick and easy! Run the card front thru the Big Shot using the polka dot impressions folder, stamp the little chickie, color him/her in. I used watercolor crayons (of course!), stamp again on patterned paper and cut out the egg portion, adhere that to your colored little chick, and assemble the rest.....simple as that! AND - it's nice and springy.........

That's all folks!

Jen