Wishing You a Fabulous Day

After a few silent months, I was happy with the results on this one. I love the Signature Series stamps Dawn McVey has designed. Although this card was not accepted for a magazine submission, I am proud of myself for finally submitting something. I am going to continue to submit cards- you never know unless you try right??

Cardstock: Stamper's Select White- PTI
Stamps: Signature Series: Dress Form- PTI
Ink: Studio G & Martha Stewart
Ribbon: Chocolate Brown- Target
Tools: Signature Series: Dress Form Die; Corner Chomper, glue dots, Bow Easy

Spaghetti Sauce and Olive Jars...

I saw this project somewhere and I cannot remember which website it was. My 8 year old, Alex, walked in when I was working on this project and decided to make one of his own. I used the spaghetti sauce jar and he used an olive jar. All you need is tissue paper (we used red, orange and yellow), some punches and glue dots. Oh yes, and a tealight. Super easy and it's the kind of Halloween decoration that you can give as a gift. It took us about 15-30 minutes to make these. I love that Alex's witch is stirring her brew on the moon. He layered the tissue to look like a sunset, but it also reminds me of candy corn.

Papertrey Ink June Blog Hop- White, Melon Berry & Ripe Avocado

Today I am participating in my first Blog Hop with PTI. The theme was to focus on COLOR. I decided to stay with a pretty clean and simple scheme. I used their Moroccan Motifs impression plate to emboss the white strip, then cut out just one of the "lines" of Motifs. The card is basic A2 size but I used a smaller white panel (4x5 1/4) to stamp and color the Lily of the Valley. After coloring it in, I used a craft knife to cut just around a few of the flowers and the leaves so it would over the embossed strip. I sponged Melon Berry ink onto the strip and around the smaller panel to add some color. The inside of the card says "Thinking of You Always".

Supplies:

Cardstock: PTI- Stamper's Select White

Stamps: PTI- Lily of the Valley

Ink: PTI- Melon Berry, Ripe Avocado

Other: PTI- Moroccan Motifs Impression Plate, Copics

You Mean the World To Me

I have always wanted to have silhouettes of my family done...so I ended up making them myself. I wanted to give my husband something different this year too. So, after about 100 self-timed shots of  myself (yes, kind of difficult to take pictures of myself and so that it is obvious I have my hand under my belly), trying to make the boys laugh, and then deciding which photos would make the best profile, I got to work. It really didn't take that long in the end to complete. Finished, it is in an 11x14 size photo frame. I could have put in Matt's silhouette as well, but decided not to risk him asking WHYYYY he had to take a smiling side profile shot. Instead I CASE'd a card I saw on Nichole Heady's blog for the last opening. After I stamped the trees, I used markers to fill in the leaves and a q-tip to color in the hills.
The boys and I chose our favorite colors for the panels each of our silhouettes was on, then we signed our names and ages (I also added in how many weeks pregnant I was at the time). I think after the baby is born I am going to have to come up with something, but not quite sure yet what I want to do. One of the best things I liked about this is that I already had everything but the frame on hand and it was started and completed in just a few hours.

Supplies:
Mat board: Martha Stewart (found on clearance at KMart over 1 year ago for 60 cents!! Don't you love when you find something like that??)
Glass Frame: Canopy
Stamps: Papertrey Ink: Masculine Motifs, Fresh Alphabet
Ink: Palette- Noir Black, PTI- Simply Chartreuse, Enchanted Evening
Cardstock: PTI- Hawaiian Shores, Rustic Cream; Stampin' Up!- Riding Hood Red, Tangerine Tango; the teal cardstock is from Hobby Lobby
Other: White gel pen, Copics, Su! Markers, PTI Rustic Jute twine

Enjoy the Ride

Stamps: Enjoy the Ride- PTI; Travel World- TPC Studio
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Sahara Sand- SU!; Noir Black- Palette; Tea Dye Duo- PTI;
Vintage Photo- Ranger
Paper: Stamper's Select White- PTI
Other: Copics, Enjoy the Ride Die- PTI

Coffee cozy made with black felt, butterfly dies and French knots. This particular one is for the Grande size cup at Starbucks (20.5 oz). After I measured the black felt I handstitched the ends to fit around the cup. Pretty easy, and would have taken me only about 1 hour (at the most) to make, except for the fact that I always forget how to make those French knots! In any case, I will remember for next time. I have this one for sale -$5. I can't wait to get a few more colors of felt, so many other color combinations out there...

All supplies PTI, unless otherwise noted.
Felt: True Black, White, Hibiscus Burst
Buttons: True Black
Dies: Butterfly
Martha Stewart Scalloped Edger
Thread: not sure but it is crochet thread in white

Happy Birthday

This one is for the bestest best friend ever, who knows who she is. I so love how this card turned out!!! I love these colors, and anything that reminds me of the beach or is tropical.

Stamps: Aloha, Giga Guide Lines, Background Basics: Text Style- PTI; Aloha- SU

Cardstock: Hawaiian Shores, Pure Poppy, Stamper's Select White- PTI;

Ink: Hawaiian Shores, Aqua Mist- PTI; White Craft- Close to my Heart; Noir Black- Palette;

Riding Hood Red- SU

Markers: Copics; Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Garden Green, Old Olive, SU

Other: White Gel Pen, Red Coloring Pencil, Twine

i miss you.

I got the idea  for this card from Nichole Heady's and it also became the Mother's Day card I sent to my mom. It says Happy Mother's Day inside. I do miss her, but I put that on the front b/c while my mom was visiting she and my dog Marley bonded....something I am not sure my mom will admit. lol
(This is also another card sent to Peru that still hasn't made it down there!!)

Stamps: Chair-ished and Vintage Picnic- PTI
Cardstock: Stamper's Select White, Pure Poppy- PTI; Chocolate Chip- SU
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip, Noir Black- PTI
Markers: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Summer Sun, Real Red- SU
Other: Cuttlebug Argyle folder

Thinking of You

I made this card for one of my aunts who lives in Peru. Unfortunately it looks like it got lost in the mail, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will eventually get to her.

Stamps: Russian Dolls, Hero Arts; Asian Fusion and A Little Argyle, PTI

Cardstock: Pure Poppy, PTI; Cameo Coral, SU!

Ink: Riding Hood Red, SU; Noir Black, Palette

Other: SU markers

Thinking of You

Stamps: Background Basics: Tin Types; Fillable Frames #2- PTI
Cardstock: Hawaiian Shores & Stamper's Select White- PTI
Ink: Hawaiian Shores, Lemon Tart- PTI
Other: Versamark, White Filigree

Birthday Wishes

Stamps: Asian Fusion, PTI
Paper: Berry Sorbet, PTI; Very Vanilla, SU!
Ink: Pink Passion, SU!; Noir Black, Palette
Other: markers- Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, SU! & Black Sharpie Fine point

Thank You So Very Much

Stamps: Delightful Dahlia (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Melon Berry, Berry Sorbet (PTI), Noir Black (Palette)
Cardstock: Stamper's Select White, Berry Sorbet
Other: White gel pen, Copics, Marvy Brush Markers

I followed Becky Oehler's card for this one, which you can see here. I haven't found a white embossing powder that works well for me (so if anyone has suggestions for this, I'd appreciate it!!). I think I may try the PTI one next.
I made this card for my best friend's father, whose own father passed away last week. Though I didn't know her Veroushka's grandfather (he lived in Nicaragua), her family has always been so good to me, like a second family.
Personally, I think this card could be used for any number of occasions, in many different colors.

Birthday Wishes

This was my first attempt with a 1st Birthday card for my best friend's son. I wasn't crazy about it, so I started over...

...and ended up with this. I had to mail it before I got too frustrated, but I still feel as if something is missing. Inside it says "Happy 1st Birthday" (printed). Maybe I could have added a "1" on the outside? I am open to suggestions (please!!)

I know my friend will love it regardless, but I want to know what I could have to done to make this one a little bit nicer.

Wedding Congratulations

My sister Gabriela got married recently, and this is the card I made for her and her new husband, Ramon.

The cardbase and sentiment are PTI, I used a QuickKutz wedding cake die, Jolee stickers for the bride and groom inside and flowers, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder and the rest of the card stock came from Hobby Lobby.

Some News...

For the past few months I have not posted much of anything because I have been busy...sleeping...a lot more than normal. Back in October, Halloween to be exact, we went to the state Cross Country Meet in Lexington, KY to watch our oldest son compete. It was a 4 hour trip up there and a 4 hour trip back. Anyway, before we left Lexington, I suggested to my husband that we get some wine for when we got back home. Cheese, wine, apple slices, etc. Well, I had half a glass of wine (Chateau St. Michele Riesling) and fell asleep. I couldn't keep my eyes open!! I don't drink much AT ALL but the stuff knocked me out. A few days later, I was with the boys, my mother-in-law and husband's grandmother and again, I couldn't stay awake (no wine that day). So I had this funny feeling...I was pregnant. (I am one of the lucky ones, I find out VERY early, as in, my doctors told me it was too soon to even take the test.) One week after that, I was substituting for the very first time for the Spanish teacher for the whole week. So, in the very early morning hours of November 9th (around 5AM) I couldn't stand it, I took the home EPT (yes!! I had one at home!!). It took, oh about 30 seconds for the little lines to show up. I called my husband, who was already at work, but he took so long to call back that I ended up texting him a photo of the test. (I know, I know, horrible, but I couldn't stand it. I needed to talk to him RIGHT THEN.) hahaha, I also included my very best friend-practically-my-sister Veroushka in that text. Then, I went to school, to sub high school Spanish for the first time ever. I was nervous as it was, but the EPT results had me in a daze. Thank goodness the kids were AMAZING. They were so great they made me want to teach full time. That will be a post for another day though. This was needless to say, a very shocking surprise- but we are very happy about it. Our parents are also very happy and the news was well received. It is safe to say we thought we were done having kids. I always wanted 3, I just thought number 3 would have happened a few years ago (our boys are 12 and 8- huge age difference). So, now, this little boy or girl will have 2 older brothers to look out for him or her.

Here is the video of the when we told our boys about 2 weeks later. Their reaction was priceless. In the video I had a cold and I was trying not to cry so I sound very funny...

Baby Boy Shirt

And here is the baby boy shirt...

Baby girl shirt

Being pregnant, and having so many friends who are pregnant right now, I was in the mood to make a few t-shirts- in the newborn size. We are not finding out the sex of the baby, so I get to make shirts for both a boy and a girl. I used PTI stamps but realized the ink I was using would wash off so I painted over the design with a paint brush. Then I added a few French knots around the neck line. Not too bad for my first try...

Martha rocks...

I made these ornaments for one of my best friends. I got the idea from Martha Stewart's website. So easy, quick and fun to make.

Thank You

Congratulations

Celebrate

Thank You