Wow

Wow! Where did the time go? I have been such a bad blogger. My only excuse is that I lost my craft room. Its gone..history...dream that once was.

We still haven't moved, in fact, eldest daughter moved back home (answer to prayer that) and has decided to go to college. Middle daughter started college, youngest started high school. We live a very disorganized life, dh is sometimes home for a week and then gone for a week. He is heading out this fall to Shanghai and Japan. (we get to go with him to Japan!)

Also with eldest moving back we are up to 3 cats in the house. And dh, for our anniversary, wanted a Puggle. (pug/beagle mix) We are now the proud owners of a cute, if somewhat untrained puppy. I'm so glad that the downstairs is tile and pergo..makes clean up while we potty train so much easier.

I'm hoping to be able to stamp soon, I've rigged my long table in my bedroom (which will probably have to go if we put the house on the market) but for now, I'm clinging to my little patch of stamping heaven. My stamp spending, um, collecting has slowed down considerably, since I have no room to house it until I use it. I keep telling myself ; now is a good time to use up all those designer papers, brads, ribbons, buttons, etc that I've been hoarding all these years. Cause there just ain't room for it now!

Anywho, just a quick update and hopefully will be posting cards soon.

Hello again

Yes, I'm still here.  Haven't had much time for blogging/stamping in the past few months.  So much has happened.  DH retired/new job/location change.  Middle daughter graduated from high school.  House to clean/fix ready to sell(and let me tell you..junk reproduces in porportion to how long it has been left unsupervised).  My poor craft room sits there abandoned and alone, filled with extra boxes of junk I need to go through.  Luckily...the end of the tunnel is in sight and I plan on getting back into the stamp of things next week.  The dust will finally settle for a bit and allow me time to get some cards stamped!  (my stash is horribly depleted..I've been resorting to cards from work!) So cross off the 'fell off the earth' theory..I'll be posting soon.

Mothers

My mother is a quilter, a very good quilter.  She has tried over the years to make me see the light and come to the fat quarter side of things, but I have never had the patience for this craft.  I cross stitch (of which it may take years to finish a project, if it does get finished...) but a quilt is a big investment.  I was thinking about her this week( since I forgot to call her this last weekend) and had seen a card similar to this(actually think it was on Nicole's blog) and knew I had to make one to send to her.  

Top of the morning

I finally got a chance to stamp!  I had seen a card similar to this and just had to try it!  Easy peasy.  My kinda card.  We're heading out to visit the area where we are supposed to be moving to, and as an added bonus...going to see Jeff Dunham in concert!!  

Slithering your way

I have a great Secret Sister this round, who has sent me some really cute images!  I got this one in the mail this week and had to use it.  Again, bittersweet paper, the image and the hearts are from my SS.  This is one of those quick and easy cards.  Love when they go together in under 10 minutes.  I'm so glad that Valentine's day is almost over.  I'm ready for some different colors.  : )

Well, I almost made it a whole week posting.. and then fell of the planet for a week.  Got to go to the mall crawling last week with my girls and a great friend. We stopped at Archivers and actually restrained ourselves!  Then this last weekend the girls and I went to an incredible concert, Winter Jam.  I had forgotten how loud girls can scream when a boy band comes on stage...Hawk Nelson.  I, of course, was waiting patiently for Toby Mac to hit the stage.  He put on an awesome show! The girls got all the guys in Hawk Nelson to sign their t-shirts and got Brandon Heaths autograph.  Anywho, I did get to stamp a few times this week, so posts today and tomorrow.  This girl has been sitting on my desk for the past 3 weeks, colored and ready to find a card to go on.  I had finally gotten the bittersweet (basic grey) paper in the mail and wanted to try it out. I'm kinda strange about paper pads, I make myself use the patterns I like the least first, to savor the ones I like the best, last.  I wonder if there is a name for that disease...lol

To Bling or Not to Bling

To bling or not to bling, that is the question.  Whether 'tis nobler in the hearts of stampers... 

I just couldn't make up my mind whether I liked the card with or without sparkle.  So I did it both ways. I'm working my way through using up as much of my hoard as I can.(hence the square crystals,button, hemp and dp) Other than my declutter resolution (which is coming along just fine) I'm resolved to use up a bunch of the hoard I have in my craft room.  Its time for it to see the light of day and be used!!! I don't want to have to move all this stuff.  So, every chance I get, I'm up there making stuff and using it up.  I dread having to go through my scrapbooking stuff also, luckily its not as out of control as my stamping. 

Hearts and Flowers

A stamping friend of mine got this set and let me stamp a few images of it.  I didn't know quite what to do with it at first, but finally got a card done.  Top image is inside and bottom is outside..I know backwards.  Silly me.  

Winter play

We recently had some very cold temps for the south.  I didn't mind it too much being a transplant..but did bemoan the fact that if it was going to be so cold..there had better be snow on the ground. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate.  But it gave me a great opportunity to break out this cute snowman and bear to try out.  I made this card for my secret sister over on SCS.  Isn't he so cute!!  I waver between quick and practical stamping.  It must be a bi-polar craft thing.  Oh, and if you like blogs check out my fav found here.  She won't disappoint and if you feel so inclined please vote for her!  

A Moment of Silence

My dh, bless his heart, is a man of few needs.  He doesn't hunt, fish, watch car races, woodwork or golf.  His hobbies are simple and  few.  Yesterday we said goodbye to his baby, his refuge that when he got under foot and 3 women were on the rag at the same time and he needed a safe harbour from the raging hormones he would go and she would comfort him.  So please, a moment of silence in respect for the mourning. Her new owner seemed quite giddy to have her (and managed to lock himself out of her his drive home).  Hopefully in the future he will have another sweetheart like her, but it won't ever be the same as the first one. : )

Now onward:

  Here is the last of my Christmas cards that I sent out this last year.  There were actually 2 types of this card, the other had Santa on the front, same type, same colors, same Bat channel.  I had meant to post this way back when, but due to the problem of me having children and they not having their Christmas present of their own camera, my batteries where dead.  Again. Now glorious bliss, my camera can survive day after day without being subjected to a million shots for click happy teenagers and funny poses. And now another subject:

Bad, bad blogger am I.  What have I been doing? Not much stamping, I can tell you that.  I just started back in on it this last week.  Did I make a New Year's resolution this year? YUP! For the first time, yes.  And its one that I'm actually going to keep. (not that I have much choice in the matter)  The resolution was to declutter and dejunk my house.  Have to because we are moving and the house has to be 'staged' to sell in this current financial climate.  We started out going room by room.  Then when we hit the master bedroom (aka the junk drop room) we hit a major roadblock.  Did you know that if you leave receipts and records alone..they will mulitiply in proportion to the time left there?  We're talking 23 years of ALL receipts, checks, paystubs, bill receipts..dang it.. I kept everything!  (by the way, thanks Mom for that packrat gene) I'm on my 2nd shredder and am seriously considering having a big bon fire.  Ok, enough of my ranting and ravings.  The house actually is beginning to look better than it has in years and the decluttering is such a liberating experience.  On the craft front, I will have cards back up starting Monday.  I need to start dejunking that room this weekend.  But I have started to stamp again just to stay sane.  See y'all Monday.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

I have officially been bitten by the Amuse bug. They are so small and so stinkin' cute!! Between them and the Elzybells they carry... I'm in trouble!

Card deets: Cardstock-Ballet Blue, Whisper White, glimmer silver (0ld retired SU). Stamps-Chubby Bird (Amuse). Ink-black noir, image colored with copics and glitter copics. Accessories- organdy ribbon, cuttlebug snowflake, nestibilities, snowflake stickers.

Eep

I totally forgot to post yesterday. What can I plead? Ignorance, too busy, forgot. I'm not sure. Possibly because my brain melted when we called the DMV after morning class and found out my middle child is taking her driving test tomorrow. Ok, I got it, I'm pleading temporary insanity! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Card deets: Cardstock- white (PTI), holiday vintage prints dp (PTI), real red. Stamps- Baby It's Cold Outside (MFT). Ink- black noir, image colored with glitter copics. Accessories-rub on Merry Christmas.

A rose is a rose

So I decided to use some images I had colored last year and had left sitting. Couldn't decide which dp paper I like better, not even sure I liked it...but here it is. Card deets: Cardstock-true thyme, real red, su dp from a couple years ago. Stamp set-Christmas cardinal (SU), Take a Bough (PTI). Ink-palette black, image colored with pencils and stickles added in the center of flower. Accessories- red organdy ribbon

Card deets- same as above except top dp paper is cosmo cricket. And ribbon is red twill from PTI.

Boy is it cold out there!

Well, I have been a christmas card crazed stamper lately. The last couple of days have managed to crank out about 20 cards. I'm going for getting about 8 done a day this week and I'll be set. Of course being the strange compulsive person I am, they all have to be different each day. So good for you in that I'll be posting for this week every day. Stay warm..its cold out there!

Card deets: Stamps-Polar Holiday and Poochie Christmas (Cat's Pajamas). Cardstock- Basic black, cranberry crisp, river rock and BG Wassil dp. Ink-Palette black Noir, image colored with copics and glitter copics. Accessories- Cuttlebug snowflakes, small gold dots and square scallop punch.

Happy Thanksgiving!

No card today, just a quick blurb about how thankful I am for family and friends. We are so blessed to live in this country. We watched and read in horror at the attack on the Taj in Mumbai. My dh had been there earlier this year and his screen saver is the pic he took of the horses in the front of the Taj. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and count your blessings!

Thankful

Just got back from visiting family on the other side of the country. It was so good to see everyone and see how the nieces and nephews have grown! We had a fabulous meal at my sister's house. Everyone was in charge of bringing something. My dad and I were in charge of deserts: cream cheese pie and drunk pumpkin cake that I got here. Let me just say the pumpkin cake was incredible!!
I haven't been posting much lately since we are in the process of getting our house ready to sell. Yup, after 20 years of living here we are heading out to the next stage of our lives and a new state. So posting for a while is going to be touch and go. I do have a bunch of Christmas cards to make so I'll hopefully have those to post.

Card deets: Cardstock-chocolate chip, papertrey white, dp paper from cosmo cricket (I think). Ink-summer sunrise and burnt umber (palette). Stamps- First Fruits. Accessories- nestibility circle, summer sunrise ribbon, red dot stickers.

It's Cold out there!

Brr! It is actually cold this morning! Freeze warning. Last week had some stamping friends over and this is the card I massed (ok, only 4) produced. I figure if I can get at least 4 done a week, until the 3rd week in December, I'll be doing good and get all my Christmas cards out. Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men. Card deets: Cardstock-real red, whisper white. dp from paper trey (red) and amuse (?green). Ink- palette black, image colored with glitter copics (it sparkles in real life) Stamps- Baby It's Cold Outside (My Favorite Things) Accessories- twill (papertrey), crystal brads.

A Bird in the Hand

Got started on some Christmas cards recently. Had colored the images last year but finally put them to paper this year. Same recipe, different colors. Ah, the things that give spice to life. Speaking of...my middle daughter went on a Zombie Walk last night. What a great excuse to shred some old clothes and put fake blood all over you. I applaud the brave father that chaperoned these crazed teens. You deserve "Father of the Year" for that!!

TGIF

I'm so glad that its Friday! Its been a wierd and wild week. This is a card I started about a month ago and never finished. I had seen a similar card on SCS and had to case. I made myself sit down and "get er done" Yes, I live in the south. *grin*

Card deets: Cardstock-chocolate chip, ruby red, sahara sand, whisper white. Ink-basic black, image colored with colored pencils. Stamps-Autumn Harvest(SU), First Fruits(PTI). Accessories-ribbon, paper piercer, destressor, scallop punch, and hodgepodge hardware.