Grandma Extraordinaire

Tim Holtz Dress Form

2011-05-24T19:30:00.000-04:00

Posting the Tim Holtz Dress Form Tag to show some friends.

Don't Faint - I'm actually posting the Papertrey Princesses Challenge

2010-10-27T20:37:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone! Have you totally given up on me? I wouldn't blame you. What can I say other than Life happens and that darn work thing just gets in the way of all my fun :(

That Diane in our Papertrey Princesses group keeps us on our toes. Diane, You Rock! She sent me a very sweet reminder that it was my turn to post a challenge. So sorry, I haven't been around much to participate, but hopefully I will be able to a bit more.

On to the challenge...Today's Challenge is to do a 3D box of your choosing. The one I've posted today is off of the Cosmo Cricket blog and was really easy to make. 1 sheet of 12x12 and a few folds and you're done. Here is the link to the tutorial on their blog. http://cosmocricket.typepad.com/cosmo_cricket/2010/10/how-to-fold-a-treat-bag-video-tutorial.html

Here is my version of the bag using the Papertrey Ink's "Homemade" stamp set as well as several other little Halloween sets in my stash. I also used Papertrey Ink's "Background Basics - Tin Type" for the roof.

Hope you get a chance to play and thanks for taking a peek.

Special Blog Hop Post

2010-08-30T17:42:00.000-04:00

This card is posted as a special suprise for a special stamp company owner. As a huge fan (an buyer) of Papertrey Ink stamps, I was asked to participate in this Special Blog Hop, to show my support of this very talented owner. Nicole Heady never fails to inspire and share her amazing gift. To thank this amazing woman, I'm posting my card to her. Thank you Nicole.

New House Card

2010-05-20T09:01:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago a friend of mine moved into a new house so I thought I'd make her a card. I found this new stamp by Stampendous and fell in love with it. It would be perfect for a 'New House' card.

The cardstock, ink, twine and sentiment stamp all come from Papertrey Ink. The patterned paper is from Basic Grey. I colored the stamp with Copic Markers. I also used the medium scalloped die from Papertrey Ink as well.

Thanks for taking a peek and letting know what you think.

Apron Template Invitation for the Holiday Weekend.

2010-05-13T15:25:00.000-04:00

With the Memorial Day weekend coming up, I wanted to make some invitations. As many of you know, we have a cabin in Northern Michigan. On the holiday weekends we usually have a crowd for a weekend of boating, campfires with S'mores, cookouts and family and friends.

I was at a stamp show this past weekend and saw a template for an apron design. It was pretty expensive for such a simple template, so I thought I'd try my hand at designing my own. I am pretty happy how it turned out and I have lots of other ideas for the apron to make it more feminine. Lace and Flowers maybe?

Anyway, this has lots of Papertrey Ink stamps, paper and ink on this one. Faux Ribbon, Fillable Frames #1, Let Them Eat Cake, and Star Prints. The ink colors are Enchanted Evening and Poppy Red. The ribbon is from my stash.

Thanks for taking a peek and letting me know what you think.

Mother's Day Cards - 4 of them

2010-05-10T13:20:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone has a wonderful Mother's Day. I sure did!

For the very first time ever, I actually sold some cards. I put out a note here at work (I work with mostly guys) if they would like to purchase some Mother's Day cards from me. Wahoo, I actually sold 4 cards. So I thought I'd post them for you to see. I hope you like them.

This first one was made for one of the guys that just had a baby girl for his wife's first Mother's Day. He requested the card to be a baby style card from his daughter. All the products used on this card are from Papertrey Ink except the ribbon, which is from my stash.

This card uses a butterfly stamp from Technique Tuesday. The Patterned Paper is from Basic Grey. Notice that I used Papertrey Inks, Boarders and Corners - Circle stamp as it fits perfectly on the Mat Stack Die.

Here is another card using all items from Papertrey Ink.

This card uses lots of Papertrey Ink and well. Notice that I used the Boarders and Corners - Circle again on the Mat Die. I also used the new FREE Anniversay gift stamp set from Papertrey Ink.

Thanks for taking a peek and I'd love to hear what you think

Papertrey Princesses Challenge #7

2010-05-04T11:48:00.001-04:00

This time it is Diane's turn to post the challenge. Her challenge was to use spring clothing colors to inspire us or to use her colors of Pink, Black and White as inspiration. Pink, Black and White just happens to be one of my favorite color combos so it was the perfect challenge for me.

For this card I used the new Mat Stack die from Papertrey Ink as well as the flower stamp from the Baby Button Bits set. This was a super easy card to make. Hope you like it.

Thanks for taking a peek and letting me know what you think.

Go-To-Gal Designer Challenge #1

2010-05-01T21:34:00.000-04:00

I am a huge fan of Betsy Veldman's http://scrapbookgirl.typepad.com/paper_scissors_and_superh/ work. She is my "Designer Hero" and I want to be her when I grow up (although I'm way older than her). In the stamping world, she is probably my favorite. She is a member of the Go To Gals for Paper Crafts Magazine and posted a challenge on her blog. Well, I thought I'd play along. Here is the sketch she posted.

When I saw the sketch, I immediately thought of twins. Well it just so happens, one of the guys I work with is about to become a Grandfather to identical twin girls in a few weeks. That was my inspiration for my

card.

Thank you for taking a peek at my card and I'd love to hear what you think.

New Stamps

2010-04-30T15:02:00.000-04:00

I received some new stamps in the mail earlier in the week. Two of the sets I ordered were "A Little Argyle" and "Enjoy the Ride" both from Papertrey Ink. Enjoy the Ride also had a die available that cuts the little car out perfectly. This has be one of the best ideas in stamping in years. Stamps and dies that match/coordinate. Just brilliant! I was playing around and thought I'd make this little card to see how it all worked. The cardstock is Kraft, Chocolate and Terra Cotta Tile all from Papertrey Ink. The ink is Terra Cotta Tile and Chocolate and the ribbon is also Terra Cotta Tile. I can see using this little car for many cute cards to come.

Thanks for taking a peek and letting me know what you think.

Papertrey Princess Challenge - Think Spring

2010-04-20T09:50:00.002-04:00

This time it was BethieJ's turn to post the challenge. Here is what she posted "Think Spring..Think New..it can be anything you want it to be..a new color combo..a new technique you haave wanted to try, NEW supplies..ANYTHING.."

Well right after I read the challenge I was trying to think of something to make. I went outside a little while later and was greeted with these lovely flowers as a sign of spring. Inspiration Struck!

I have been wanting to use this color combination for some time and thought that it was NEW to me. I had also purchased the stamp set "Wishing You..." by Papertrey Ink a while ago as well. But, it was still NEW and in the package. What better set to use for this challenge! Here is my take on this challenge.

Thanks for taking a peek and letting me know what you think.

Baby Shower Gift Card Holder

2010-04-07T08:25:00.000-04:00

One of the girls I work with is having a baby at the end of the month. Last week we had a little baby shower, pot luck luncheon for her. In addition to a little sleeper, I gave her a gift card to Target. Gotta love Target for baby and kid stuff.

I made the gift card holder using one of my favorite templates from My Timeless Templates from Papertrey Ink. The tag was made using stamps from Daily Designs from Papertrey Ink. I love this set as it is so versitile. It's great for building and layering and it can be used for almost any occasion.

Thanks for taking a peek and letting me know what you think.

Papertrey Princesses Challenge - Neutrals Only!

2010-04-01T08:15:00.003-04:00

It is my turn to present the challenge this time. For this challenge you are to use Neutrals only. You may use Kraft, Cream, White and Black. Or any combination of those. No colors this time around. The other day I was playing around with stamping on an envelope and just stamped with some black ink on a kraft envelope. I really liked the way it looked so this challenge was born.

Here are two views of the card I made. I used the Year in Flowers Violet stamp by Papertrey Ink. I was unsure about this stamp when I bought it, thinking I have enough flower sets. However, it has quickly become a favorite. The sentiment is from the Wishing You set. Since my sister's birthday is this month, I knew I would be needing a card so I decided to make it a birthday card. But I think this could make a nice thank you card or even a sympathy card.

I hope you like this challenge and I can't wait to see what you make. Thanks for taking a peek and let me know what you think.

Papertrey Princess Challenge - CASE IT!

2010-03-29T10:56:00.000-04:00

This time it was Cheryl's turn to give us this very creative challenge. We were each assigned a person in the group to create a card based on one of their cards. I was give the assignment to create a card based on the amazing Anya's work. Her cards are beautiful and I was quite itimidated in trying to emulate Anya's work. Well here goes... This is the card I chose from Anya's blog.

Here is my version of her card. For mine I used the Year in Flowers - Violet set from Papertrey Ink. The sentiment is from the Studio Style set. The patterened paper from Nook & Pantry by Cosmo Cricket.

Thanks for taking a peek and I'd love to hear what you think.

St. Patrick's Day Card

2010-03-25T14:31:00.002-04:00

I was part of a St. Patrick's Day card swap on the Papertrey Ink boards. I was lucky enough to receive a card from the amazing Hanneke from the Netherlands. It was so fun to find this fabulous card in my mailbox on Tuesday when I came home from work. This is the first time I've ever received mail from that part of the world. Thank you Hanneke for the beautiful card. I am honored to receive it.

Gone Cruisin'

2010-03-17T15:00:00.000-04:00

K.I.S.A. (knight in shining armour) and I are crusin' the Caribbean for a little vacation. See you in a few days.

Papertrey Princesses Challenge. Scoring

2010-03-11T14:51:00.000-05:00

This time it was Pam's turn to post the Challenge. Her challenge was about scoring. Well, I'm not quite sure if there is a real big difference between Scoring and Embossing. If there is, does that mean that the lines must be straight for scoring? I took a bit of creative license with this challenge and decided to make my Score Lines a scalloped shape.

I am loving the new scalloped dies by Papertrey Ink and wanted to try this. I took the scalloped die and then used my stylus to go around the scallops on a piece of the nice thick Papertrey Paper. I really like how it turned out and may try it again with some of the other new dies.

The Stamp Set used on this card is the Men of Life set for the sailboat and the sentiment is from Daily Design Sentiments. I also sponged a bit of Fresh Snow ink for the clouds and to highlight the waves. A yellow button sunshine was added and called it good.

Thanks for taking a peek and letting me know what you think.

A Baby Card - Template

2010-03-05T17:52:00.001-05:00

A few months back, many of you know that I won the Guest Star Stamper contest on Papertrey Ink. The catagory I won, was for using their templates. My prize was a free set of the next months template release. (I heart templates). However, when the new templates were released, I wasn't sure I would like the new "In Shape" template sets. I don't own a Cricut (yet) and wondered how these shapes would work by cutting by hand. The set I won is called "Rock-A-Bye Baby" and comes with 4 very cute designs.

Fast forward to last week...One of my son's friends just had a baby boy and thought it was the perfect time to try one of the baby templates. I am so thrilled at how this turned out. It is one of the cutest cards I've ever made and was suprisingly easy to cut out. I printed out the template on Vintage Cream Cardstock then stamped it with the Polka Dot Basics set. I used the template to trace the ear on Bitty Dots Patterned Paper in Ocean Tides. Then I traced around the feet in some Chocolate Brown scraps and used my Stampin Up scalloped punch to make the feet. I then cut everything out and assembled it. I then used one of the Googlie Eyes I had in my craft stash and a little bow on the tail. I hope you like it.

Thanks for taking a peek and letting me know what you think.

Papertrey Princesses Challenge #3

2010-03-03T16:59:00.001-05:00

This time it was Michelle's turn to post the challenge. Her challenge was for us to color on our project. This birthday card was made using a stamp by Stamping Bella. I love using their stamps for coloring. The patterned paper is Basic Grey - Nook and Pantry. The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's, Piece of Cake set. I used Copic Markers to do the coloring. The ribbon is from my stash. For the scallop border, I used the newly released scalloped dies from Papertrey Ink. This is the medium scallop.

Thanks for taking a peek, I'd love to hear what you think.

Wanted - Lost Mojo!

2010-02-25T10:23:00.000-05:00

If you see my Mojo, will you please send it back to me. I really have been bad lately with working on any projects. However, I did take a class at Archiver's last week on making Shabby Chic cards. The class used Hero Arts stamps and Ranger Paint daubers. (Which I give a big Thumbs Up). I really liked using them, the consistency of the paint was wonderful and the colors are scrumtious! We also used the Distress Stickles which I like much better than regular stickles. They seem to be toned down a bit, the colors are not quite so bright. Here are the cards I made. Everyone in the class made the same cards. It was fun using paint with stamps instead of ink and will use this technique again very soon.

Thanks for taking a peek and I'd love to hear what you think.

Papertrey Princesses Challenge #2

2010-02-15T13:15:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm way behind in my blogging. Sorry about that, but life/work keeps getting in the way of my fun time. I know this is a bit late for Valentine's Day, but I incorporated it into my project. This time it was Lee's turn to issue the challenge. It was to create a 3D project. All of the products used on this are from Papertrey Ink. Thanks for taking a peek and I'd love to hear what you think.

Papertrey Ink 3rd Anniversary Celebration - Challenge

2010-02-02T20:18:00.002-05:00

Today is day 2 of the big Birthday Bash over at the Papertrey Ink website and Nichole's blog. There were several free downloads offered today. The Challenge for today was to use the downloards on a card or several cards. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to do more than one card. Here is the card I did using the free cupcake download. I did use Maile Belles http://mailebelles.blogspot.com/ card as inspiration for this layout. The sets I used for this card are Polka Dot Basics, Jounaling Lines and the sentiment is from the Let's Celebrate set.

Thanks for taking a peek and I'd love to here what you think.

My Time Made Easy Template - Shutt-erfly

2010-02-01T15:20:00.000-05:00

As many of you know Lauren Meader decided to open her own online shop with her amazing templates http://www.mytimemadeeasy.com/. I love doing the templates. They are fun to put together and they open an whole new area of design and decorating possibilities. This is one I did last month from her first release. It's called Shutt-erfly. The top is designed to look like Butterfly Wings, hence the name of the packaging. I made this one and filled it with a bag of chocolate covered peanuts. I did change this up a bit by cutting out an oval in the middle of the box and covering with clear cardstock so you can see the goodies inside. Lauren has also designed Digital paper. This is something I thought I'd never do and I ended up loving it. There are several other patterns to coordinate with this plaid as well and will be using those on some future projects.

Thanks for taking a peek today and I'd love to hear what you think.

Papertrey Princesses Inspiration Challenge

2010-01-27T10:08:00.004-05:00

Yes, I know I've been a bad blogger of late. I think there are a few reasons for this. First, after having two wonderful weeks off at the holidays, I just couldn't get myself motivated and back into a routine. Second, I think my Mojo went on holiday as well. Third, 'Life' just got in the way.

I think the 'renewal' of The Papertrey Princess challenges are just what I needed to get my motivation back. (or at least some of it).

Our first challenge of the year is from the amazingly talented Anya. (a link to her blog is in the sidebar on the left). Anya chose an inspiration challenge. Here is the picture of the inspiration piece. I love the colors, textures and elements in the sewing basket.

Here is my card. I think the stripes, the colors, the sewing, the pinked edges and the pins are all represented in the card. I'm pretty happy how it turned out. Thanks Anya for your inspiration piece.

The stamp sets used are all from Papertrey Ink. The stripes are from the Faux Ribbon set and the stamped circle image are from the Daily Designs and Daily Design sentiments sets.

Thanks for taking a peek and I'd love to hear what you think.

Thank You card.

2010-01-14T10:05:00.000-05:00

Here is a card I made with the intentions of sending in to Paper Crafts last publication call for Thank You cards. I have never sent in anything for pub calls and basically got cold feet with this card as well. So here is a basic Thank You card using Papertrey Ink supplies. The Stamp set is Fancy Flourishes, the sentiment is from Giga Guidelines. The cardstock is Spring Moss and Chocolate Brown. The Patterned Paper is from The Turning a New Leaf set. One tip I used making this card, is to use Copic Markers to change the color of your embellishments. For example the button was a totally different color brown and did not match at all. I simply colored the button with a dark brown Copic Marker and it matched perfectly. I did the same for the little metal accent dots under the sentiment. They started off life as bright lime green. A little dabbing of dark brown Copic and they also match. Thanks for taking a peek and let me know what you think.

On a personal note, I just want to Thank You all so much for your kind comments to my GSS win and project. Thank you for letting me gush a bit. You are all so sweet.

A Dream Come True!

2010-01-10T09:15:00.000-05:00

I won the Guest Star Stamper contest for December on Papertrey Ink! This month I was asked to be the January "Guest Designer" as part of my prize package. I cannot begin to tell you how honored I am to be acknowledged by the best in the business. This truely is a "Dream Come True". My complete sample design, directions, supply list as well as full photos will be included with the purchase of the template through http://www.papertreyink.com/ on January 15th. And, it's only $5.

I would like to add a big "Thank You" to those of you that visit my blog and leave such sweet comments. I can't tell you how much you encouraging words mean to me. Another big "Thank You" to my "real life" friends as well as my "cyber friends" who are always so generous with taking the time to let me know you are reading.

I hope you like my sample and can't wait to hear what you think.

It's My Baby's Birthday Today!

2010-01-05T13:52:00.001-05:00

Of course my baby is 27 years old today, so he's a big baby. :) Here is a picture of him that one of the guys at work took. He was actually at a trade show in Las Vegas working, when they decided to rent bikes for the day and go for a cruise. (see I told you he was a big baby)

Here is the card I made for him. He loves his IPOD and listens to it all the time. When I saw this stamp from Stamping Bella, I knew it would be perfect for him. I used Copic Markers to color the image and Cosmo Cricket - Boyfriend patterned paper. Thanks for taking a peek at let me know what you think.

PS. I'm so excited! My gift card holder that I posted on December 16th won the Guest Star Stamper contest for Decmeber over at Papertrey Ink. I know those of you that are familiar with this contest understand my excitement. Thanks for letting me share.

Happy New Year and another GSS submission

2010-01-01T19:26:00.001-05:00

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. I sure have enjoyed being off work for 2 weeks, I really wish I could stay home all the time. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket?

We spent the last few days up at our cabin (in Northern Michigan) doing some snowmobiling. There was lots of snow up there and the trails were in great shape. We got home late last night, but not before stopping for a wonderful New Year's Eve dinner.

Now for my project. This was entered in the December Guest Star Stamper contest at Papertrey Ink.

I posted a couple weeks ago that my boss recently got married. I wanted to get them a little keepsake to remember the occasion. Since they had a December wedding, I thought a Christmas ornament engraved with their wedding date would be a nice gift. I decided to make the packaging to show it off a bit more. I made the Fold and Go template from Papertrey Ink using transparancy. I then stamped it with the Snowflake Serenade stamp set with White Stazon. (It's my favorite holiday set - so versitile). I added a bit of bling on the snowflake centers. Thanks for taking a peek and let me know what you think.

More Gift Card Holders!

2009-12-23T09:40:00.000-05:00

I've been a bad blogger lately. It's been so nice being on vacation from work that I'm just enjoying staying home and puttering around the house. That is something I just don't get the time to do, working full time. I thought I'd post some more gift card holders. The first one was inspired by Diane http://dianejaquay.blogspot.com/2009/12/stocking-gift-card-holder.html
She made some cute stocking gift card holders from the free Timeless Template at Papertrey Ink. Here is my version. Thanks Diane for the inspiration.

The next one was made using all Papertrey Ink products. It uses the Cash and Carry Template (again) and the patterned paper is from last years Papertrey Ink holiday collection. The tag is from the Holiday Tag set.

The last holder today is from Lauren Meader's new company, My Time Made Easy http://www.mytimemadeeasy.com/ She is offering some free downloads of templates as well as Digital Paper. Well, I was totally against the idea of Digital Paper, now that I have tried it, I'm a total convert. Love being able to print off the color and size that I need. I also like being able to print it on cream or white background. (I also printed the same paper in pink for the stocking above).If I hadn't been able to try it for free, I wouldn't have know what I was missing.

I hope you all have a fabulous, safe and Happiest of Holidays! Thank you for taking a peek today and I'd love to hear what you think..

GSS Submission - December

2009-12-16T10:39:00.000-05:00

Back from a little trip with K.I.S.A. (knight in shining armour). We ended up getting a great deal on a weekend flight and hotel to Chicago this past weekend. We had so much fun. Did all the tourist things, Top of the John Hancock Building, Shedd Aquarium, Chicago Pizza and did a bit of Christmas shopping too. The city was decorated in it's finest Holiday sparkle. It was just beautiful.

Now on to the project. Here is a gift card holder that I submitted for the Guest Star Stamper for December on Papertrey Ink. I again used the Gift Card template to create this. All the products are Papertrey Ink except for the little pearly bling. They were from some branches I got in the floral section at Michaels. Really like how this one came out and the colors are great.

Thanks for taking a peek and let me know what you think.

Another Gift Package Idea

2009-12-11T09:38:00.003-05:00

Happy Friday Everyone! Hope you are all staying warm. It is freezing cold here in Michigan today. I think the wind chill was about -9 on my way in to work this morning. We also have a light dusting of snow.

Now on to the project. My daughter in law asked for a stockpile of Bath and Body works hand soap for Christmas. Since I was able to get several bottles at the Outlet on sale, I was trying to think of a cute way to package them. I bought six bottles and instantly thought 6-pack (and I don't even drink beer). I covered the six-pack holder with several patterns of Cosmo Crickets, Early Bird paper for a fun cheery look that would work year round. For a fun embellishment I cut the flower out of felt with a Sizzix die and my Cuttlebug. I'd been wanting to try to cut felt and love the way it cut. I will be doing this again for sure. The only stamping on this project is on the tag.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek. I'd love to hear what you think.

Wedding Card

2009-12-09T10:18:00.000-05:00

My boss is getting married on Saturday and I thought I'd make him a card. It's not a big fancy affair, just a small group of family and friends out of town. So I thought a simple card would be best. Tried to make it not too masculine and not too feminine.

This card used products from Papertrey Ink, except for the ink for the flowers. I used kraft card stock and stamped the cake with Fresh Snow ink then stamped the flowers in Pink Grapefruit ink by Versa. I added the leaves using New Leaf ink then embossed the card with my nestabilities. The Cake, Flowers and Leaves are from the Piece of Cake set. The sentiment is from the Sweet Love set. This is another one of those cards that looks so much better in real life.

Thanks for taking a peek today and I'd love to hear what you think.

Gift Card Template

2009-12-07T08:35:00.000-05:00

Today's post features one of the Gift Card Timeless Templates from Papertrey Ink. This is the first time I've used this particular template and loved how it turned out. I'll be making many more of this one. This particular one uses Cardstock, ink, button and stamps from Papertrey Ink. The patterned paper is from Cosmo Cricket's Holly Jolly line. The ribbon is from my stash. The tag is from a Quickutz die. The first picture shows the gift card holder closed. The second picture shows how the gift card slides right out of the pocket. Thanks for taking a peek and I'd love to hear what you think.

Gift Wrapping Alternative - Masculine look

2009-12-04T10:05:00.001-05:00

My son has asked for a particular CD for Christmas this year. I thought I would try and do something with a rather masculine look to it. First I cut my kraft cardstock to the size I needed to cover the CD. Then I stamped it in two parts. First I used Faux Ribbon by Papertrey Ink to make the stripes. Then I stamped the rest of the cardstock with my new favorite Hero Arts background stamp. I then wrapped the CD, rounded the corners on the top flap and added the embellishments. The tag was stamped from the 2008 Holiday Tag set from Papertrey Ink. I found that I really liked the combination of Kraft with New Leaf ink and ribbon. Thanks for taking a peek and I'd love to hear what you think.

Homemade Gift Idea

2009-12-02T08:44:00.000-05:00

I am in love with the new Homemade template and coordinating Stamp set from Papertrey Ink. I think the concept is pure genius. I can see a whole village of little houses and shops filled with fun little gifts and treats for the holidays or any time of year. (The second photo will show you what kind of goodies will be in this shop). I'll be doing lots more of these. Wish my photography skills were better. These pictures sure doesn't do the project justice. They look so much cuter in real life. Hope you like it and it inspires you. Thanks for taking a peek and let me know what you think.

Bella Friday Post (on Monday)

2009-11-30T09:14:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving. Ours was wonderful, with time spent with family and friends. Also had a little r&r up at the cabin for the weekend. Did a bit of Black Friday shopping but not much to speak of.

Here is my card from the Bellariffic Friday post. It was a sketch challenge and here is my interpretation of it. I used Snowbunny Bella for the main image colored with prismas and gamsol. I also used some sparkle fluff for the white furry parts of her coat. The background paper was made from Snowflake Serenade (one of my all time favorites) by Papertrey ink. The paper and ink are also from Papertrey Ink. The swirl stamp is from an old Technique Tuesday set. Thanks for taking a peek today.

Treat Box

2009-11-25T09:45:00.000-05:00

First and foremost I want to wish you all a safe and Happy Thanksgiving day. Hope it is filled with family, friends, fun and of course, good food. I would like to thank all of you for your good thoughts and well wishes from my previous post. It appears my job is stable for the time being and I am very thankful for that.

Now, on to my project. This project used the Timeless Template called "Time for Take Out". All of the papers, inks and stamps used on this project are from Papertrey Ink. I'm thinking of making several of these to hang on my Christmas tree to hold little treats for my Grandson. He is 3 1/2 and is really getting into the Santa thing this year. I thought I might hide a few little treat boxes for him to find every few days or so, leading up to Christmas. Sort of an alternative to an advent calendar. Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek. Let me know what you think. Edited to add: The red and white twine that I used to thread through the button is from Martha Stewart crafts that I bought at Michaels. It is also available at Two Peas in a Bucket. http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/shop/martha-stewart/87438-bakers-twine-multi-color/?filters=_martha_stewart+bakers+twine_

Another GSS Entry

2009-11-23T08:29:00.000-05:00

Here is another card I entered in the Guest Star Stamper contest at Papertrey Ink earlier this month. The requirement was for a simple card. This one took about 5 minutes to make and I like the way it came out. It is a small 3x3 gift card. First I made a small embossed square with my nestabilities in the center of the card. I then used the Giga Guidelines set from Papertrey Ink and masked off the very center of the stamp to make the wreath. Stamped the word "Joy" in the center from Holiday Tree set. Added a tiny red bow and a bit of red glitter gel pen and it was done. Thanks for taking a peek today.

On a personal note, I'm having a very hard time right now as I don't know if I will have a job or not as budgets are being prepared for next year. As most of you know I work in Automotive Engineering and live in the Detroit suburbs. The economy here is very bad and there are basically no jobs out there. It's very scary knowing that everything you've worked for, for the last 25 years could be gone. If you have it in your heart to say a prayer or think some positive thoughts for me, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Bella-riffic Friday

2009-11-20T11:42:00.000-05:00

So this weeks challenge over at Stamping Bella was to make a card using one of the original Bella stamps. These are pretty fun to do. I decided since it is so close to Thanksgiving I would do up Chef-a-Bella holding her yummy roast turkey and home baked pie. I can taste them already.

I colored her up with Prismacolors and Gamsol. The patterned paper is Nutmeg from Cosmo Cricket. I just love all their paper. Thanks for taking a peek today.

3 Gift Card Holders for you today.

2009-11-18T08:35:00.000-05:00

I have recently become addicted to Lauren Meader's My Timeless Templates from Papertrey Ink. They are so much fun to create and decorate. One of the selection's last month was a set of gift card holders. Since my most of my gift giving consists of gift cards and cash. (My kids are adults) this is the perfect way to me to feel like I'm still wrapping a gift and they still have something to open.

You will also see that I used the same background stamp on all three holders. This is a background stamp from Hero Arts called Dots and Flowers. https://shop.heroarts.com/products/productdetail/part_number=S5213/1571.0 I just love vintage look and it is also versatile as well.

The first card holder uses the 2009 Holiday Tag set from Papertrey Ink. The ink and blue paper Enchanted Evening by Papertrey Ink. I also added a bit of red bling and some glitter on the tag. The patterned paper is from my stash and is by Daisy D's.

This second card holder uses the 2009 Holiday Tag set as well from Papertrey Ink. The ink colors are Pure Poppy and New Leaf. The gingham ribbon is from my stash. I also added a bit of bling and glitter to this tag.

I kept this 3rd tag pretty simple. The Papetrey Ink items are Chocolate Brown ink and paper. I also used their Kraft paper for the main part of the gift card holder. The Gingerbread man stamp is one of the $1 stamps from Snag 'm Stamps. I used my white gel pen to make the faux stitching and to highlight the Gingerbread man. The sentiment is from the Holiday Tree set. The mini red buttons and ribbon is from my stash.

I hope you enjoyed these projects today and will leave me a comment to let me know what you think. Thanks for taking a peek.

GSS Entry

2009-11-16T11:42:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't win anything again. Here is one of my entries in the Guest Star Stamper contest over at Papertrey Ink. I made this recipe book for my step-daughter as she and her boyfriend just got an apartment. She has always liked several of my recipes growing up and has recently asked me for some. I thought for Christmas I'd put together this little gift set which includes the recipe book (with some of my recipes written in) and the matching tote. The tote holds a wire wisk, a spatula, some measuring spoons and some wooden spoons. The stamp set used is called Fruitful. I really like how you can build different fruits to use. I also used my Bind It All machine to create the book. Hope she likes it. Thanks for taking a peek.

Bellariffic Friday card

2009-11-13T08:33:00.000-05:00

This week's challenge at Stamping Bella was "Anything Goes" for Beffariffic Friday. I've had this cute VW bus stamp for a bit and thought it would be the perfect time to color it up. I used Prismacolors and gamsol to color it up. The patterned paper is my most favorite ever, Early Bird by Cosmo Cricket in the 6x6 paper pack. I really wish you could see this one in person as the colors came out so much better than the camera can pick up. The polka dots are all glittery and the headlights are covered with Crystal Effects Hope you like it.

Another Holiday Card

2009-11-12T09:12:00.000-05:00

Well, I liked yesterday's color combo so much, I decided to do another card with the same colors. This time I used all Papertrey Ink products (except for the ribbon). The stamp set is called Holiday Tree and it really is great little set. You'll be seeing more of this set. I also used that old standard Polka Dot Basics for the background. It's a bit hard to see but the silver snowflakes have glitter on them and the stars and red branches are touched up with my Spica Pens for a bit of shine. The design is the same as yesterday. Hope you like it.

A Holiday Card.

2009-11-11T09:01:00.000-05:00

I've had this old Hero Arts snowman stamp for years and it's always been one of my favorite images. Thought I would dust him off and do a holiday card with him. I had also purchased some Glimmer Mist the day I made this card and wanted to play with it. All of the paper and ink are from Papertrey Ink. The ribbon and button are from my stash. For the back base of the card, I ran some Spring Rain cardstock through my cuttlebug with the snowflake embossing folder. Then I sprayed it with the Glimmer Mist - Marshmallow, which is a limited time color. Love the look it gives the paper as it adds a shimmer to it. I also used Papertrey Ink, Background Basics - Text stamp, to stamp the poppy red on white for a matching background paper. The snowman was colored with Copic Markers and was cut out with Nestabilities. I really liked how this one came out and will be using this color combination again very soon ;) Thanks for taking a peek.

Invitation to Thanksgiving Dinner

2009-11-06T15:22:00.000-05:00

Here is the invitation that I had just completed to invite my family to Thanksgiving dinner when the phone rang. It was my son saying that he and my daughter-in-law had decided they wanted to host Thanksgiving dinner this year. They moved into their new house in March and haven't been though any of the holidays there yet. So with some reservation, I agreed. Luckily I hadn't printed the inside yet, so I will just save them for another occasion. Or, maybe next year. The invitation uses all Papertrey Ink supplies except the wooden button. Stamps used are: 2009 Autumn Tags set and the Sentiment is from the Warm Hospitality set. Thanks for taking a peek.

Storage Idea

2009-11-04T10:44:00.000-05:00

Edited to add the link to the clips only by request: http://www.amazon.com/Clip-Additional-Clips-Pkg-25-Pkg/dp/B001CRIZN4/ref=pd_sim_k_1

No card today as I've been working on a project for the Guest Star Stamper and Papertrey Ink and can't quite post it yet. My Scramp room looked like a cyclone went through when I was finished. Finally got the room cleaned up a bit and hope to have some time in there tonight.

Anyway, I was explaining to some friends how I store some of my stamp sets. I really like the idea of the Clip It Up http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Renee-01-001-Rotating-Craft-Storage/dp/B00164SAT2 but it's really large, takes up quite a bit of valuable desk space and it's a bit pricey. My alternative to this was to just buy the clips only. Got them on amazon. 50 of them for $16. Then went to Home Depot and got a towel bar for a bit over $3. The towel bar is about 13 inches long and will hold 50 clips. I have 30 stamp sets clipped up in the picture with room for the other 20. This takes up very little space on the wall, doesn't take up any valuable work surface, looks fairly neat and I can see everything right in front of me. Hope you like my storage solution for under $20.

For the Kids.

2009-10-28T21:53:00.000-04:00

That's the title of this weeks challenge over at Stamping Bella. I used their Planets and Galaxies stamp. While this is not one of my better cards, I love the image. The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink and I think it goes perfectly with that image. When my boys were little, I used to tell them that I loved them to the moon and back and now I say it to my grandson. The wild and crazy paper is from the Lime Ricky collection from Basic Grey. Thanks for taking a peek.

For the Hostess

2009-10-26T09:13:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday was our group crop. We had so much fun just talking and creating and of course eating. It's really amazing how such a diverse group of 16 ladies ranging in age from the mid 20's to the early 60's can all become such a great group of friends and all get along so well. Our hostess this time was Judy and I made this card for her to thank her for all the hard work she did putting everything together. The card uses Flowahbella and the Indian Summer paper from Basic Grey. The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink. I used prismacolors and gamsol to color her up. Of course a bit of glitter to ad some sparkle. Thanks for taking a peek.

Bottoms Up! or Cheers!

2009-10-21T13:35:00.000-04:00

My daughter-in-law and son had a big party at their house last weekend to celebrate her birthday. Along with some pj's and a few little goodies, I got her (and the party goers) a large bottle of Absolute Vodka. Instead of trying to wrap it, I decided to make a hang tag to go over the bottle. I cut a long strip of cardstock and scored it about 3 - 4 inches from the top. Then punched a round hole to go over the bottle neck. Cosmo Bella is the perfect stamp to go with a gift of Absolute. I used prismacolors and gamsol to color her. The patterned paper is from the Marakesh collection from Basic Grey. I also thought that a version of this might be good to use for a bottle of wine given as a gift. Thanks for taking a peek. Cheers!

Halloween Card

2009-10-19T09:52:00.000-04:00

Here's a card I did while playing around with some stamps I purchased at a stamp show last summer. Of course, I can't for the life of me remember the brand of stamp right now. It was a whole Halloween set of this Haunted House image and several other Halloween images. I colored this one with just a bit of prismacolors. The roof and bushes were paper pieced. I also used a Spica Pen for the glow in the windows. The Patterned Paper is Basic Grey's Eerie line. Love that paper pack. Thanks for looking.

A Silly Little Card

2009-10-16T10:27:00.000-04:00

I've had this card in my stash for quite a while. This is one of those $1 stamps that you buy because they're well, $1. Also, I was playing around with this particular card layout I saw on one of the sketch sites a while back. I used Copic Markers to color him and also some Stickles on his spots. Hope he makes you smile. Thanks for looking.

Another Holiday Card

2009-10-13T21:55:00.000-04:00

Here is another card I did for an example of the card class I doing with my friends. This card uses another stamp from Stamping Bella. The patterned paper is an older print from Basic Grey. The cardstock, ribbon and button are from Papertrey Ink. The image is colored with Prismacolors and gamsol. A bit of glitter was also added. Thanks for taking a peek.

2 Holiday Cards.

2009-10-11T14:29:00.000-04:00

Today I'm posting two cards to show my cropping group. We are all getting together to crop on the 24th. (They all scrapbook and I stamp). They have asked me to show them how to stamp and color so I will be "teaching" during the crop. The two cards I'm posting are examples of the images they will be able to color. Of course they will be able to choose their own color combinations. Both the images are from http://www.stampingbella.com/. They have great images for coloring. I have used Prismacolors and Gamsol to color the images. I've also used lots of glitter and sparkle. The Three Trees card uses patterned paper from Cosmo Cricket Holly Jolly Collection and the Minty Coffee Cup uses last years Basic Grey Wassail Collection. Hope you enjoy the cards. Thanks for taking a peek.

Great Minds Drink Alike!

2009-10-09T10:24:00.000-04:00

That's the sentiment inside this card. I just love this image. Last weekend K.I.S.A. (knight in shining armour) and I went away for the weekend to celebrate our anniversary. We went up to Stratford, Ontario to the Shakespeare Festival.

I had heard about a little stamp store in Chatham, Ontario called The Paper Pickle, which just happened to be on the way to Stratford. What a great little store with lots of cool stamps as well as tons of Bellas. I fell in love and just had to pick up the stamp called "Happy Couple" among a few other goodies. They are all dressed up for a night out. Her dress has some sparkle on it and the glasses all have some crystal effects on them. The flower on her hat has some bling on it. I colored the image using Prismacolor pencils and gamsol. The punch at the bottom is a Martha punch.

Since this store is a great place to go for a Day Trip, I'm sure I'll be heading back there one day soon. Anyone want to tag along??

Hope you enjoy the card.

For the Fun of It!

2009-10-07T12:45:00.001-04:00

This is one of my favorite images from Stamping Bella. I just love these doggies. Once I saw them, I just had to have them. I colored them up with prismacolors and gamsol and the patterned paper is Cosmo Cricket. (Again, sorry about the lighting) Thanks for looking.

WCMD Challenge #3

2009-10-05T21:14:00.001-04:00

This time the world tour stopped in India. To me India represents lots of Jewel tones and gems. Hope you take a peek.

WCMD Challenge #2

2009-10-05T21:10:00.000-04:00

Stop Number 2 on the world tour was Mexico. I loved Nichole's suggestion of using the Guide Lines set to make Mexican tiles. I loved how this came out.

WCMD Challenge 1

2009-10-05T21:05:00.000-04:00

Here is my first card for the Papertrey Ink World Card Making Day. Nichole has posted 4 challenges for everyone to try. There is a chance to win some fabulous prizes too. Since we were out of town all weekend and I worked all day. I was able to throw a few cards together quickly to post this evening. I've only been able to do the first 3 challenges and ran out of time for the last one. Hope you take a peek. Here is card #1. Our first stop on the world tour was Japan.

Papertrey Princesses Challenge

2009-10-01T08:48:00.000-04:00

This is the second post of the day. Be sure to scroll down if you want to see the first card.

Today is October 1 and that means it's my turn to post the challenge. My challenge for this time around is to use the very FIRST PapertreyInk set you ever bought. My very first set was Little Lady. I just loved the Lady Bug and the unique way she went together. Coincidentally on this card I used my very first PTI set as well as the most recent set I just purchased from PTI, Vintage Labels. I also used my black Spica pen to give the dots a bit of shimmer and used some glossy accents on the popped up wings. Hope you enjoy the card and can't wait to see what you all do with the challenge.

Bellariffic Card

2009-10-01T08:43:00.000-04:00

This is the first of two posts for the day. I thought I might enter this card into the Bellariffic Friday contest over at Stamping Bella. The challenge as to use a Bella image on a Halloween card. I've never posted anything over in Bella Land, so I thought I'd give it a shot. This card uses WitchaBella. Prismacolors and Gamsol were used to color her with a bit of sparkle added. The patterned paper is from Basic Grey's new Eerie collection. I just love it. The ribbon is from my stash. Hope you enjoy the card.

Boss' Birthday Card

2009-09-29T09:42:00.000-04:00

Well, today is my boss' birthday. He is always a witness to my friend/co-worker and I comparing cards and stamps and shopping trips. He told me a while back that he expected a handmade card for his birthday. So here is the card he's getting. I made him with Beerafella from Stamping Bella. The patterned paper is from Cosmo Cricket. I used a bit of glitter to make the ice sparkle and some Crystal Effects on the beer bottles for a bit of dimension. Thanks for looking.

Papertrey Princesses Challenge

2009-09-25T09:47:00.000-04:00

This time it was Cheryl's turn to post a challenge. Her challenge to us was to make a card using no white or cream paper or ink. So here is my version of the challenge. All of the items used on this card are from Papertrey Ink. (I really need to get some better lights) Thanks for taking a peek.

Another Halloween Treat Box

2009-09-23T10:14:00.000-04:00

Here is another Halloween Treat Box I did using the My Timeless Templates from Papertrey Ink. This one was also entered in the Guest Star Stamper contest. I really like how this one came out and is a bit more "grown up" that the other boxes I did on my last post.

This one uses Spooky Treats 2, Journaling Lines and the new 2009 Halloween Tags all from Papertrey Ink. I also used the circle and pinking nestabilities dies and the Martha Stewart Drippy Goo punch. I just love that punch.

Thanks for taking a peek.

GSS - Guest Star Stamper Honorable Mention!

2009-09-21T10:05:00.000-04:00

Edited to add: OMG! I just saw that these made Honorable Mention for GSS at Papertrey Ink. Nichole thought these were worthy to be posted on her blog. I'm beyond excited and pleased.

I finally entered a few things for GSS at Papertrey Ink. Of course I knew I didn't stand a chance with the amazing talent that's on that board. So here are a few of my losing entries.

These are some boxes made with My Timeless Templates also availble on the Papertrey Ink website. They are great fun to print out, assemble and decorate. I'll be using this template alot.

I used several different stamp sets to make these boxes. However, they are all available at Papertrey Ink.

Hope you enjoy taking a peek.

Absolutely Fabulous

2009-09-18T14:57:00.000-04:00

Here is another card from http://www.stampingbella.com/. This is the card that I made in the class that I took. This is a direct copy of Paula Williamson's card so I can't take credit for it. However, I'm really happy how my coloring came out in this one. The sentiment and cardstock is from Papertrey Ink. The patterned paper is from Basic grey. She also has a bit of sparkle on her.

Hope you like her.

Finally a new card reader so I can post again.

2009-09-17T14:35:00.000-04:00

Lately I've been on a Bella kick and have several cards from http://www.stampingbella.com/. I took a couple of classes from the Bella Babe, Paula Williamson an amazingly talented card maker. Her blog is listed on my list to the left. She taught me some great techniques using Prismacolor Pencils. This card uses Rock A Bella. I also added a bit of sparkle to her shirt and the guitar has some crystal effects on it. The cardstock, ink, ribbon and Star Stamp are all from Papertrey Ink. The patterned paper is from Prima.

I have lots more stuff to show you now that I can post again. Thanks for looking at my blog.

A Baby Card

2009-06-26T09:55:00.000-04:00

One of the girls here at work is having a baby next month. Yesterday we threw her a little pot luck/lunch baby shower. There are about 50 employees where I work, but only 7 of us girls. It was so nice to just sit, chat and visit with just the ladies. I really think we should do that more often. "Lunch just us girls". Here is the card I made to go along with the gift I purchased.

All the products used on this card are from Papertrey Ink.

The card uses the "Men of Life" stamp set and the sentiment is from "Bitty Baby Blessings" The patterned paper is from the "Men of Life" collection.

Thanks for taking a peek at my card and I hope you all have a fabulous weekend.

Papertrey Ink Princesses Challenge

2009-06-24T08:44:00.000-04:00

Sorry for not being a very good blogger lately. I think my mojo is on summer vacation. Plus since I live in a cubicle all day at work, I find it hard to stay inside when I get home from work on such nice days. I'd much rather be outside. Today we are going to be in the 90's, unusually hot for here.

On to the card for today. Our challenge this time was to create a card using this image. It is a place mat and napkin set from Amy Butler.

Here is the card I made using the inspiration piece. I'm not really liking this card at all, and I really had a hard time with the challenge. Like I said, I think my mojo is on summer vacation. The stamp set I used on this card is "Spiral Bouquet" by Papertrey Ink. The background paper is from K.I. and the flower is from Prima. The fringe is from my stash of ribbon.

Thanks for taking a peek at my blog today. I hope everyone is having great weather and can get a chance to get outside and play.

Shabby/Vintage Card Attempt

2009-06-12T08:34:00.000-04:00

TGIF! I'm so glad it's Friday. Looking forward to a nice weekend. K.I.S.A and I are headed up to our cabin for a nice weekend of floating around on the boat and maybe a bonfire tomorrow night. The weather is supposed to be great. Tonight we will be glued to the Hockey game.

Here is my first attempt at a Shabby/Vintage style card. I love the look of shabby/vintage, but am just never quite sure how to achieve it. Take a look at my card and tell me what you think you would change on it. Does it have the look of the shabby/vintage style?

I can't wait to hear your input. Thanks for taking a peek and have a fabulous weekend!

Gift Bag Template

2009-06-09T07:50:00.000-04:00

A few days ago I spoke about getting some template stamps from Inky Antics at the stamp show I attended. These are just so fun to make and they come out really cute. Today I used the gift bag stamp - template to make a little bag to hold a gift card for my step-daughter for her birthday next week.

Here is a front view of the bag. I used all Papertrey Ink products on it. I love the combination of Raspberry Fizz and Summer Sunrise paper and ink. The stamp sets used are Everyday Classics, Borders - Circles and the sentiment is from last years free gift set, Simple Little Things.

Here is a side view so you can get an idea of what the assembled template looks like. It's basically a little lunch bag with a flap over the top. Of course, you have the choice to use the flap or cut it off. In this case, I kept the flap, punched two holes and fed my ribbon through to tie the bow.

Here is a picture of the actual stamp. Thought this my give you a better idea of what they look like.

Thanks for taking a peek.

Rasberry Suite Color Challenge #8

2009-06-05T09:46:00.000-04:00

Well the yuckies took over and I ended up staying home from work today. I can't remember the last time I had a summer cold. They are definitely the worst.

Here's my card for the challenge. Cardstock is Kraft and Cream from Papertrey Ink. Ink is Chocolate Brown, Raspberry Fizz, Vintage Cream and Chai (looks like Kraft ink) all from Papertrey Ink. The stamp sets used are Life from Papertrey Ink. The Postage stamp dots from Just For Fun and the flourishes from Bo Bunny. The bling is from Hero Arts and the ribbon is Raspberry Fizz from Papertrey Ink.

Here is another view of my card.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek.

One Basic Design, Two Cards

2009-06-04T08:29:00.000-04:00

There must be something going around as I'm not feeling all the great. Just basically a sore throat, achy and a slight cough. I'd much rather be home today instead of sitting in my cubicle. However, I really hate to waste a good sick day when I feel yucky. I'd much rather take a sick day when I'm feeling good enough to enjoy it. :)

Here is a basic layout I used to make two different cards. Not really thrilled with either card, but I thought I'd post anyway. It gave me a chance to practice more with my Copics. Funny how sometimes it just flows and sometimes it just doesn't.

This first card uses the bunny image from Stacy Stamps http://www.stacystamps.com/. I stamped the image twice then cut out the bunny and popped him up on the page after I colored in the grass and the bunny with my Copic markers. The Congratulations stamp is from Hero Arts and the Argyle embossing folder is from Sizzix.

This second card uses the same basic layout. The ice cream cone stamp is from Denami Designs http://www.denamidesign.com/. She has some really cute stamps on her website. Check them out when you get a chance. The patterned paper is from Basic Grey.

Again, I'm not thrilled with either of these cards but maybe they'll be of some inspiration to someone.

Hoping that I can do some more stamping this weekend as this evening will be spent watching the hockey game.

GO RED WINGS!

Great Birthday Weekend! Plus lots of stuff to show!

2009-06-01T08:43:00.000-04:00

I had a wonderful birthday weekend. Went to a local Stamp show and spent way too much money. Went to dinner with friends on Saturday and the Kids had us over for a cookout and birthday cake on Sunday. Fun, Fun, Fun!

On to the cards. Today I have three cards to share. I had planned on showing them individually last week, but the battery in my camera had died so now that it's charged up you get to see them all in one post.

This first card is a simple little "Thank you" card for a little boy. The son of one of my co-workers heard it was my birthday on Friday and wanted to make me a picture for my office. I made him this little card to thank him.

The Kraft cardstock, twine and button are from Papertrey Ink. The patterned paper is from Basic Grey-Granola collection. The little Monster stamp is from Daisy Bucket. I hope he likes it.

This card uses several different stamp sets. The paper is all from Papertrey Ink. The stamps sets are Backgrounds-Retro for the grid background from Papertrey Ink. The sentiment is from Star Prints, also from Papertrey Ink. The Recipe card background is from Great Impressions stamps and the the Little Chef stamp is from Inky Antics. They really have some cute stuff. (In fact Inky Antics was one of the exhibitors at the Stamp show this weekend and bought several more of their stamps. Can't wait to have some time to play with them.)

I colored the recipe card and the little chef with my Copic markers.

This 3rd one is really more of a little project than a card. This little box was made with a template stamp from Inky Antics stamps. The remaining stamps are from the Star Prints set and the Let Freedom Ring set from Papertrey Ink. The paper, ink (except the blue ink) distressing ink, twine and button are all from Papertrey Ink. The blue ink is brocade blue from SU.

Here is the little box when it is open. My plan was to fill it with Jelly Belly's, M&M's or some other type of Red, White and Blue candy but just never got to pick some up.

I bought a few more of these type of templates from Inky Antics over the weekend so you will probably being see more of these in the future.

In closing, I just want to add. GO WINGS!

Papertrey Princesses Challenge #3

2009-05-27T07:43:00.000-04:00

Had a wonderful long holiday weekend up at the cabin. The kids came so we had a houseful. The weather was great and we enjoyed some nice boating time on the lake and lots of great food and family time.

Back to the challenge. This time it was Leah's turn to determine what our challenge would be. We were to create a card using "No Layers". Not as easy as it sounds. Sometimes I can do these types of cards fairly easy other times not so much. This one came together rather quickly.

The products used on this card are all from Papertrey Ink except for the Turquoise ink. That is from VersaMagic. I used the "grid" paper and I really liked how it gave another dimension to a "flat" card. The stamp sets used were "Bird Watching Additions" and "Bitty Baby Blessings" for the sentiment. The three birdies go great with that sentiment.

Thanks for taking a peek at my card today.

A Fun Birthday Card

2009-05-20T09:58:00.000-04:00

When I saw this little robot stamp set from Stampendous. I just had to buy it. He really is cute. The Happy Birthday 2U set is from Stampendous as well. I colored everything with Copic markers, cut out the robot and popped him up with pop dots. It's just a fun and cheery card.

Most of the supplies used on this card were just scraps from my stash. The orange "waves" at the bottom of the card were embossed with Zing embossing powder. (I just love that stuff). The Wave stamp is from Hero Arts.

Thanks for taking a peek.

Raspberry Suite Challenge - Week 6

2009-05-18T08:27:00.000-04:00

I haven't been able to play in the color challenges for a couple of weeks and had a bit of time last night to make a card and play along.

This card uses White, Berry Sorbet, Aqua Mist and Dark Chocolate cardstock. The ink is Fresh Snow and Dark Chocolate and the button and ribbon are all from PapertreyInk.

The stamps used on this card are Background Basics - Retro from Papertrey Ink and the Thanks So much is from Inkadinkadoo.

Love this color combo and will be using it again.

A little gift bag

2009-05-15T10:45:00.000-04:00

TGIF!! So glad it's Friday. It's been a crazy week at work and I'm so ready for the weekend to begin. I'm taking a half vacation day today and heading up to the cabin for the weekend. K.I.S.A went up Wednesday so I'm hoping he has the boat in the water. A nice relaxing boat ride sounds like just what I need. Here's a quick little post. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend and see you next week!

Here is a little gift bag I made using a stamp that I purchased last weekend at the Mega Meet and I also used a Bella Stamp on this one. I just love the possibilities of this little bag stamp. It's from http://www.inkyantics.com/index.htm. They also have a few other stamp templates that I want to try soon. The Bella stamp is Emmy Bella from http://www.stampingbella.com/ The first view is of the plain tote so you can see how it looks assembled. Really cute and easy to do.

The second view shows the completed bag with the Bella on the front. I used this for a gift card holder for my mom for mother's day. She likes to shop. :)

The paper is from the Citrus collection from DCWV available at Joann stores. It's a very cute collection and sparkly too!

Let me know what you think. Thanks for taking a peek.

Birdhouse Template

2009-05-13T21:43:00.000-04:00

As I was perusing my usual blogs, one that I stop at first everyday is Nicole's at Papertrey Ink. http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/ She is an amazing talent and so willing to share her gift with everyone. A couple of days ago she posted a little birdhouse that she made and even included a free download of the template. I fell in love with it and had to make my own. Here is my version.

Here is the front view.

Here is the side view.

The Stamp sets used are Background Basics - Retro, Warm Hospitality both from Papertrey Ink. The round So Tweet Stamp is from Snag 'em Stamps. Kraft, New Leaf, and Chocolate cardstock from Papertrey Ink was used as well as their Dark Chocolate ink. I added some Rafia and a button from my stash. The circles were cut with Nestabilities dies and the scalloped edge on the roof was from a Stampin Up punch.

Hope I did Nicole's template justice. I thought it came out pretty cute. Let me know what you think.

Papertrey Princeses Challenge #2

2009-05-11T12:45:00.000-04:00

Our Blogging group was issued another challenge. This time around we were to use a Papertrey Stamp set that had seen little or no ink. Also, we were to try a monochromatic color scheme. I thought I'd give it a try and found I had a very hard time with the monochromatic colors. I needed a card for MIL for Mother's Day so I thought I'd incorporate the challenge. Here is the card I came up with. Everything is Papertrey Ink except for the flower background stamp, I can't remember who made that at the moment. The main stamp is from the "Tags For Spring"set. Hard to believe it was a set that I hadn't used yet.

Thanks for taking a peek at my blog and hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Kristina Color Challenge

2009-05-08T08:45:00.001-04:00

Here is my card for the Kristina Werner Design Color Challenge. This is the first time I've attempted one of her color challenges. I love her style and the cards she posts on her blog along with her tutorials. She makes pretty simple cards look just amazing. I really liked the colors in this challenge and will be using them again in the future.

The white and brown cardstock, the chocolate brown ink and the polka dot ribbon, and buttons are all from Papertrey Ink. The stamp set is Sheltering Tree by Gel-A-Tins. The mustard color ink is from Marvy.

Thanks for looking.

New Stamp

2009-05-06T07:58:00.000-04:00

Yesterday at lunch I went to one of our small little stamp stores in the area. It's a great little store that's been around for a long time. They carry many cool and different stamps as well as the famous names. After getting an email from Hero Arts yesterday about their new spring catalog. I saw this awesome woodgrain background stamp. When I got to the store and looked at the Hero Arts section, I could see that they had not received the new stamp yet. When I told the saleslady what I was looking for, she told me a box of Hero had just been delivered. She pulled out the invoice and sure enough, the stamp was in the box. I guess it was meant to be. Needless to say, I had to try it out when I got home last night.

Here is the card I made. I used the stamp to create a piece of patterned paper then cut it out with my Nestabilites Label 1 die. The tree is cut from a Quickutz die. The cardstock and ink is from Papertrey Ink and the patterned paper is from Basic Grey, Granola collection. Buttons from my stash and twine was also used.

The wood grain pattern came out great. I can see using this stamp over and over again. I'm sure you'll all be seeing it soon. Plus it is great for those tough to make masculine cards.

About tomorrow, if any of you are going to be in the area. Mega Meet is going on and I'm taking the day off of work and attending. It's fun scrapbooking show and sale. They also hold classes so I'm taking the Glimmer Mist/Tattered Angels class. Looking forward to learning how to use their products. If you plan on attending and want to meet up, that would be great.

Hope everyone has a fabulous day!

2 New Cards to See!

2009-05-01T08:31:00.000-04:00

Thought I would post a couple more cards that I was playing around with. Today I have 2 cards. One is a great masculine card and the other one is a rather girlie card.

This first card uses "Grillafella" from http://www.stampingbella.com/ . The Sentiment "Hot Stuff" is from two different sets. The "Hot" is from Martha Stewart drippy goo which I used the "rock and roll" technique. The "stuff" used Simple Alphabet from Papertrey Ink. I image was colored with Copic Markers. I think he looks pretty spiffy.

My second card is an image I was playing around with. The little mermaid stamp is an image by Amuse and the sentiment is from Mixed Messages by Papertrey Ink. I used some old paper scraps I had in my stash and I also used a cuttlebug embossing folder. It's hard to tell in the picture, but the mermaid is cut out and popped up on pop dots. I also used a Spica pen to give her some sparkle. The frame is also popped up for sort of a 3-D effect.

On another note, I'd like to thank you all for your good thoughts this week with the work situation. Unfortunately our meeting last Tuesday was a little worse than I thought it was going to be. The management decided that besides pay cuts, they would have to let 5 employees go. It was so sad and devastating for those who were let go. The sad part is they were laid off strictly because the economy and had nothing to do with their work performance. While I was one of the "lucky" ones and kept my job. I couldn't help but feel horrible for the those that were let go.

One last statement and I'll get off my soapbox....Please if you are considering purchasing a new car in the near future, please consider buying an American made car. Thanks from all of here in the Detroit area. Now back to your regularly scheduled blog. Thanks for listening.

Edited to add: The Rock and Roll technique is a very simple way to add color to your stamps. First take whatever stamp you plan to use (works best with a solid image) and stamp it on light colored ink. Then take the stamp and sort of roll it around the edges in a complimentary ink color. Then stamp on your paper. Clear as mud??? Here is a tutorial from Splitcoast Stampers. Hope this helps. http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/rocknroll.php

Papertrey Princesses Challenge #1

2009-04-26T16:41:00.000-04:00

I belong to a blog challenge group on the Papertrey Ink Message Boards. We just started this little group and this is our first challenge. We were to create a card or project using the "Paper Piecing Technique". I enjoyed it so much that I made two cards to share today. I'm sure this is a technique I'll be using alot! Here goes....

I really like how these round cards turn out.

They just look so cute and are easy to make with my Nestabilities dies. The stamps, patterned paper, cardstock and ink are all from Papertrey Ink. The stamps are from Butterfly Kisses, Little Lady and Mixed Messages. I also added a little bling from my stash. I did the wings in two layers. I paper pieced the black patterned paper first then layed the stamped raspberry paper on next. I folded the wings just a touch so they stood up.

This next card was also done with all Papertrey Ink supplies, except for the "Monkey" stamp. It is one of those foam stamps by Stampendous. Other products used are Copic Markers to color the Monkey and to color the Prima Flower to match. I also used Glossy Accents on the coffee mugs. The background stamp is Background Basics - Retro from Papertrey Ink. This was the first time I had a chance to use that set and I sure wish I hadn't waited so long to try it. Love it. The pajamas are paper pieced and came out really cute. She looks like she's ready to share a cup with you.

On another note, I'm hoping to get to posting on everyone's blogs in the next day or so. I think our computer here at home is on it's last legs. Poor thing is very old and tired. We did a bit of computer browsing today and I think we have one narrowed down. Now if we can get through the work week with both K.I.S.A. and I still having jobs, then we'll buy a new one mid week.

As most of you know we live in the Detroit area and we both work in the Automotive field. Things are very, very bad here in Michigan. Not sure if the rest of the country is seeing what we're seeing here. We both have big company meetings this week at work so we'll see how things shake out. Sorry to go off on a tangent with this post, but we sure could use some good vibes sent our way this week.

Thanks for listening and hope you enjoy looking at the cards. Hope you all have a great week!

Go Tigers!

2009-04-23T07:55:00.000-04:00

Got K.I.S.A. (Knight In Shining Armour) some tickets to go see a Detroit Tigers game at Comerica park this summer. We went last year and had a blast. So, since I received my new All Star goodies from Papertrey Ink, I thought I'd try them out. I made a card holder to hold the tickets to the game. I also used the new Stone cardstock, I love the color. I think it's my new favorite. Here are a couple of different views.

This is the card open with the tickets put inside.

All the stamps are from Papertrey Ink. I used All Star, All Star Additions, Fresh Alphabet and Journaling Lines for those great pin stripes. The cardstock is the new Soft Stone and the orange cardstock is from my stash. The Blue ink is from Marvy and the Orange Ink is from Versa. I also did some machine stitching on the card.

I'd love to hear what you think. Thanks for stopping by and taking a look.

Another 2 Card Day - Including a Bella

2009-04-21T08:01:00.000-04:00

Two more cards to look at today. One is for a wedding we are going to on Saturday and one is for my DIL as she is getting a Wii Fit for mother's day.

This first card uses a dollar stamp I found at the grocery store. (It was a great find) Sorry I can't remember the manufacturer. The paper, ribbon and ink are all from Papertrey Ink. The button is from my stash and the hemp twine is from CTMH.

Funny, when Bella's came out, I wasn't a huge fan. Then one day, I saw a card and it just clicked. I fell in love with them. They are really fun to color using Copic markers. This is Weighwatchabella from Stamping Bella. I thought she would be a perfect match to go with a Wii Fit game. The cardstock, Ink, button and ribbon are all from Papertrey Ink. The patterned paper is Basic Grey - Mellow collection. The flowers are from Prima. Brads are from my stash. I also used a Cuttlebug embossing edge folder.

Thanks for taking a look at my cards.

A two card day

2009-04-16T07:49:00.000-04:00

I have a couple of cards to post today. They are just kind of fun cards.

This Queen Bee card was done using Nestabilites circle dies and the Pinking die. I really like how the round cards come out. The Bee stamp in by Stampendous and the sentiment is from Papertrey Ink Honey Bee set. The cardstock is Papertrey and the patterned paper is from Basic grey. Lots of bling and stickles used as well.

The next card is really a gift card holder using a "belly band". I really like how this one came out. The cardstock is from Papertrey Ink and well as the polka dot patterned paper. Lots of different dies used here. From Nestabilites I used the labels 4 dies, the pinking die and the circle die. From Quickutz I used the cupcake (4x4 die) to make the popcorn container and I used the the quickutz (2x2) popcorn die. Chalk was used to shade the popcorn. The coupon stamp is from Hero Arts and the word "popcorn" is spelled out using the Simple Alphabet set from Papertrey Ink. The actual "band" wrapping around the card was cut from cardstock using the Stampin Up scalloped edge punch. The ribbon was from my stash. The card will open up by sliding the "band" off to reveal a gift card for the local movie theatre.

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Dawn's Color Challange #3

2009-04-05T16:12:00.000-04:00

This one was really hard for me as I rarely do cards with pinks in them. Being that boys seem to rule my world, these colors hardly ever cross my desk. Love the color combo, but not thrilled with trying to use 5 colors this time around. Not really too happy with this one, but here goes.

The stamp sets used on this set are all by Papertrey Ink. Friends 'til the End, Women of Life, Simply Stationary and Guide Lines. Cardstock, Twill tape and ink used are also from Papertrey Ink. Sweet Blush, Berry Sorbet, Vintage Cream, Poppy Red and Kraft. I also used a Cuttlebug embossing folder, Stamin Up Scallop punch and Nestabilites tag. The red button and hemp are from my stash.

Can't wait to see what everyone else did with these colors. Thanks for taking a peek.

Some Cards to See!

2009-04-04T16:35:00.000-04:00

I've been playing a bit in my scramp room and thought I'd post a few cards I made. Hope you enjoy them.

This card uses PaperTrey Ink cardstock (Sweet Blush and Chocolate Brown) and Ink (chocolate brown). The Damask stamp is from Target's $1 spot and the bon bon is from Savvy stamps. The patterned paper is from Basic Grey Bittersweet line. The punch is a Martha punch and the ribbon and button are from my stash. I also used fine glitter over diamond glaze to cover the bon bon. Copic markers were used to color the bon bon.

This is my favorite card that I've made recently. I jokingly call my DH and my grandson the "Velcro Boys" as they are continually stuck together. When I found this stamp, I thought it was perfect. The Monkey stamp is from Stampendous. The background letters (spelling GRAMPS) are Papertrey Ink's Fresh Alphabet and I spelled out "Best Bud's" using Papertrey Ink's Simple Alphabet. The cardstock is White, Spring Rain and True Black from Papertrey Ink as is the True Black ink. I colored the image with Copic markers and I used the EK success "Swiss Cheese" punch at the bottom of the card. The ribbon and button are from my stash.

This card gave me a chance to try a little experiment with the "Out on a Limb" set from Papertrey Ink. I used "True Black and Fresh Snow" ink to make the branch and flowers. The little doll is from the "4 Dolls" set from Hero Arts. It is such a cute set. I colored her face with Copic Markers and paper pieced her dress with paper from my stash.

This last card uses paper, stamps and ink from Papertrey Ink. It's the Honey Bees stamp set. I make the the Bee Hive from a Quickutz die.

My Very First Challenge

2009-03-29T17:37:00.001-04:00

OK, I've decided to try a few challenges now that my room is done. For my first one, I decided to take on Dawn McVey's Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #2. I just love the colors she picked for this one.

Here is my card - Unfortunately it's been pouring rain here all day, so I can't really get good light to take the picture. It really does look much better IRL

The items used on my card are Papertrey Craft Cardstock, Dark Chocolate Ribbon, Dark Chocolate Ink . Stamps Polka Dot Flower stamp is from My Minds Eye. The Polka Dot Background stamp is from Papertrey Ink - Polka Dot Basics and the Sentiment is from Papertrey Ink - Everyday Classics. Other Items are Versa Mark Ink, Zing Embossing powder in Cricket (Love this stuff!) , Signo White Gel pen, Button and ric rac are from my stash. The card design/layout was inspired by a card by Kristina Werner.

It's Done! (Well, 99% done)

2009-03-23T09:14:00.000-04:00

My Scramp Room is pretty well done. Here are some pictures. They came out kind of dark, but the room isn't really quite as dark as the pictures show. This is still in a basement so the ceiling is not finished and the floor is concrete.

The color on the walls is called "Baked Squash" from the Martha Stewart collection from Lowes. The tall white cabinets,the "Formica" countertop and the long white shelves are from Lowe's as well. The tall CD wall unit, the black storage boxes and the white drawers holding up the left side of my work station are all from IKEA. The desk is from a local church rummage sale and upper glass from cabinet I picked up at a local resale shop.

This is the basic view from the door. The new work station is on the left. The Desk with the glass door cabinet is the die cutting station and the two tall white cabinets hold my stamp stuff (cabinet on the left) and my scrapbooking stuff (cabinet on the right).

This is the view of my new workstation. The counter top is 8 feet long, so there is plenty of room to work as well as keep my sewing machine out. The black IKEA storage boxes hold all of stuff. For example, one box is marked Embossing, Sparkle and Bling. This box holds my embossing powders, heat gun, glitter and anything that sparkles. Another box is marked Chipboard, that's pretty obvious what is in there.

Here is my die cutting station. This is the old desk I used to use for all of scrapping and stamping. The desk and upper cabinet hold all of my Quickutz, Sizzix, Nestabilities and Cuttlebug. I like the idea of having a separate Die Cutting workspace.

This is to the left side of my storage cabinets. There is a tall CD tower that holds my clear stamps. Most of my clear stamps are in CD cases. Also there is an old style Cassette Tape box, this holds my ink pads perfectly.

I have all my buttons and ribbons displayed on the shelf about my work station. They look really pretty.

I hope you can get a pretty good idea of how my room turned out. My photography skills are lacking for sure.

Hope you enjoyed the little tour.

I will be updating this blog soon.

2009-03-01T15:02:00.000-05:00

I realize I have not posted here in about 10 months, but hope to begin posting again soon. I'm in the process of remodeling my scramp room. Once it's done, I hope to post some pictures of it and then posting some projects and cards. Hope to have everything done in the next 3 - 4 weeks. Of course, this still entails painting (after KISA repairs the walls), buying the furniture, assembling the furniture, painting existing furniture, then organizing everything that has been boxed up. Once things get to that point, I will probably take a day or two off of work to organize and play.

Hope to "see" you all soon!

Some Cards to See

2008-05-13T15:13:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted so I thought I would try to catch up a bit. Last week was the Michigan Mega Meet. Mega Meet is a huge scrapbooking, card making, papercrafts convention. It happens once a year and just happens to be about 2 miles from my house. How dangerous is that??? It turned out to be pretty dangerous for my wallet. I did spend a few more $$$$ than I had anticipated, but heck, I deserve it! I bought some Nestabilities dies and am excited to try them out. I also bought some Copic Markers which are fabulous! If you have not tried them, you must. They are nothing like a regular marker. I thought I might share a few cards I made this last week with all of you that are interested.

Here is the first card. I made this card using the Garden of Life set from Papertrey Ink for the flowers. Then I used the leaf design from the Papertrey Ink anniversary set. I think I've mentioned before that Papertrey Ink is my current favorite stamp company. The papers and ribbon are also from Papertrey. They now have their own line of coordinating cardstock, patterned paper, ribbons and ink. I just love all the colors they have. The little scallops at the bottom of the patterned paper is made using my new Fiskars punch called "Threading Waters". It's a very cool punch and really adds a neat design element.

Here is my second card I made for my mother for Mother's Day. Again I used the Papertrey Ink anniversary set for the design and their pale yellow cardstock. I just love the color combination on this card. The last card I made is a total copy of one of my favorite designers. Her name is Heather Nicholes and I just love her style, she has a sort of "rustic" flair to her work.

http://pinefeather.typepad.com/pine_is_here/ Check out her blog to see her great stuff. If you scroll down you will see her awesome butterfly cards and how they look nothing like mine. I guess I'll keep practicing and hope that some of my cards are OK.

I mostly do my papercrafting for my family and myself as a creative outlet. I work in a very technical environment with no artistic freedom so papercrafting helps break the monotony of living in a cubical most days a week .

Hope I'll be able to have some new things to show you soon.

The Gem!

2008-04-25T12:30:00.000-04:00

Work has kept me busy the last week or so. Although, all the bosses have been in Germany this past week, it seems that those of us left behind still have to work just as hard.

So glad it's Friday, as the week seems like it really dragged. I think because I knew we're heading up to the cabin for the weekend and I have been looking forward to it. Of course the weather has been exceptional for this time of year but, the temperatures are supposed to take a nose dive tomorrow. It figures as we are getting our new (to us) toy delivered tomorrow and want to take it out to play.

Our very old and very used pontoon boat was lovingly referred to as "The Jewel" and it was in desperate need of replacing. While out driving around and visiting a few marina's, we came upon this snappy little number and it was right in our price range. While it is still an older boat, it is in "like new" condition. To pay homage to our old boat we've decided to name this one "The Gem".

Keep your fingers crossed that it runs as good as it looks and gives my family many years of happy boating. Hope you all enjoy a fun filled weekend.

Noah is Here!

2008-04-15T13:22:00.000-04:00

My friend Judy finally delivered her baby boy this morning at 1:??am. He weighed in at 7 pounds, 1 ounce and is 21 inches long. Since dad is a bean counter it is only right that little Noah arrived on Tax Day! Judy is doing fine despite having an unscheduled C-section. Here's a picture of the latest member of our morning message board chat.

What Brought You Here?

2008-04-09T11:58:00.000-04:00

Just checking to ask, What brought you to my blog? I have many views and hardly any comments. Please comment here and let me know how and why you visited this blog. There's is no real reason for my question, but I am curious. Your comment can be about anything.

Hope you'll comment and Hope you'll have a great day.

Real Biker's Wear Pink.

2008-04-04T11:12:00.000-04:00

First Ride of the Season!

A little chilly out, as temps were only about 50. but K.I.S.A. and I went for a little motorcycle cruise last evening. It was great to get outside after this extremely long winter.

As you can see, I'm wearing 3 layers of clothes to keep the the wind down. Strange to be riding and still see a few snow piles in some parking lots and still a bit of ice out on the lake. But all in all it was a very enjoyable ride.

Temps are supposed to reach the low 60's this weekend so we will definitely do a bit more riding. We usually ride out to Hell, Michigan for lunch at the Damn Site Inn. Yes, there really is a Hell. Kind of a biker hang out, but really nice people and good food. Not the kind of bikers you're thinking, but the old couples like K.I.S.A and me.

Here is another picture which shows my bike a bit better. It's a 2003 Suzuki Intruder 800cc. It's a small, light bike which is great to learn on and easy to handle for a Grandma like me. Lately though, I've been having the itch to get a newer bike and really thinking of getting a Harley. Can't decide though, since they are pretty expensive since you are just paying for the name and the prestige, my bike is paid for and there is nothing wrong with it. It's just that almost every biker wants a Harley.

So what do you all think? Wanna go for a cruise?

Happy Tuesday!

2008-04-01T14:11:00.001-04:00

I actually have a free afternoon here at work. The boss has gone home for the day early so that means I'll get to leave a little early too. Yipee!

It's really been a pretty boring day. Just the usual paperwork here at the office. I really need to win the lottery. I say that alot, don't I? I'd rather be home playing with my scrap and stamp stuff or out on the road traveling somewhere.

I think my "Bucket List" is probably the same as most. My main goal is to visit all 50 states before my time comes. I have about half of them done and hope to get at least another one or two in before the end of the year. It's really hard when you only have three weeks to use through the whole year. I think the American work force really needs to adapt the European views of vacation and family. The Europeans get at least six weeks a year as they place a higher priority on family time. I do work for a German owned company, however us workers here in the United States don't get to benefit from the six week rule only the German facility gets the time off.

Oh well, maybe some day I'll get to retire and spend my days traveling.....One can dream.

Happy Sunday!

2008-03-30T18:52:00.000-04:00

I belong to a RAK (Random Act of Kindness) group through Papertrey website. http://www.papertreyink.com/. And the way it works is you send random homemade cards to others who have signed up as well. It's just kind of a fun way to practice using your stamps and that the cards will be received by someone who is appreciative of the work and fun it takes to create a homemade card. Well, I received my first ever RAK card this week from a girl named Kelsey who lives in TN. It was such a nice surprise to find it in the mailbox. Here is a picture of the great card she sent.

Then this weekend I went to the mailbox and there was another RAK card. How cool is that??? I got another great card from Angie in Indiana. It's so fun getting mail from around the country. Plus everyone is just so talented and willing to share ideas and techniques. Here is the card I received from Angie. Papertrey makes such fun stamps that really work well and interchange with each other so easily.

Today I was able to get in my stamp room and play a little bit and made a quick card to send as a thank you to girls who sent me a card. My cards are pretty simple since I never have nearly enough time to play with my stamps as I would like

Here is a picture of the card I made today. Actually the only part of this card that is stamped is the stem and the little "thanks" in the lower corner. The flower is a die cut from "Cuttlebug" dies cuts. It's probably one of my favorite flower dies. There is a little crystal in the center that really sparkles. It doesn't show up too well in the picture.

Tomorrow is back to work. Blah.... I'm so not ready for Monday. Well Tuesday is another chance to win the lottery.

We're Back from the Smoky Mountains

2008-03-28T13:11:00.000-04:00

We had a great time and lots of fun. It's funny how K.I.S.A. and I can have such a good time all by ourselves. Once the kids are grown and gone and it's just the two of you again it's amazing how much we like to be together and like doing the same things.

About the trip - I poured rain all the way down and it rained hard. After we checked into our hotel, which was in a great location we went in search for some lunch. We heard the BBQ was great. We found a place called Corky's and both ordered the pulled pork sandwich. It was pretty yummy. The waiter then asked us if we'd like to try some deep fried pickles? Well, we had seen them on the Food Network after all, so we weren't totally oblivious to them. They were awesome and I would definitely eat them again. If you've never tried them, you must. After lunch we decided to go to the Aquarium since it was still raining. What a great Aquarium, lots of cool stuff like sharks and stingrays and assorted other sea creatures that you can get up-close and personal with. Once we were done at the Aquarium, the sun had come out and the weather was perfect. Luckily it stayed that way the rest of the trip. We spent the next few days wandering around Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and the Smoky Mountains and doing all the usual tourist stuff. We even went up in the Tram that is suspended by wires and takes you up the mountain. What a great view of the town we had.

Although we were gone for several days, it was still wasn't long enough. All we talked about on the way home was how we needed to win the lottery so we could just cruise around this beautiful country taking in the scenery and talking to the interesting people we met along the way.

Oh well, no winning ticket this week. It' s back to reality for us.

Today's Stuff!

2008-03-18T11:24:00.001-04:00

1. The Good Stuff: We are headed out of town for a few days and boy am I looking forward to it. I haven't had a day off since New Year's Day and am ready for a little vacation time. K.I.S.A. and I will be heading to Gatlinburg, TN for a few days of relaxation, site seeing and hopefully some fun. Plus I will have a chance to play with my new camera.

2. The Great Stuff: I had my review at work today. It turned out to be very good and I'm happy with everything that the boss said. To make it even better, "I GOT A RAISE" on top of maxing out on the bonus amount. The boss even told me to take Monday off as a freebie and not have to count it toward vacation time. I really do work for a very generous company, for as much as I complain sometimes.

3. Just Stuff: So, I will be back early next week and hope to have some nice pictures of the Smoky Mountains to share with you.

2 Posts in One Day

2008-03-16T15:35:00.000-04:00

I thought I would share a few cards I made, plus it gave me a chance to try out my new camera.

The last card is an Easter card for my Grandson, I guess it's a bit dark, but I'm learning. The other cards are a Mother's Day card I made using another set from Papertrey Ink stamps. http://www.papertreyink.com/ The set is called "Woman of Life" and I think it's one of my favorite sets. I also used the same set on the third card. I hope you like the cards and I'll be playing with the camera some more so I can get the photography thing down.