CTMH

Another first. I finally broke down and got a set from Close to my Heart. I'm still a faithful SU person, but dang it...acrylics are so compact. I'm loving those Palette inkpads. They work great on wood and acrylics. I'm so excited that I actually got to stamp for 2 days in a row. Seems like lately thats been a record around this zoo. This was uber easy to do and I just had to add the white diamonds to the large flowers and though you can't tell it, yellow diamonds to the smaller. Someone needs to take those things away from me...I love putting them on anything I can find. (the cat looks really funny with those things on, by the way) jk. Anywho, thanks for looking and I promise to get back to my wonderful wood stamps..as soon as I can wade my way through the laundry that is screaming to get done today.

Papertray stamps

I have finally been snagged on the acrylic stamps...hook, line and sinker. They reeled me in and didn't even know it. I've been watching all those stinking darn cute cards that people are making with Papertray's stamps sets and figured, what the hay, I'll try one set... Famous last words mate. I currently have all their stamp sets and wait with bated breath for the 15th of each month for the next one to be released. There is no 12 step program for this problem... On the bright side...I am finally using up some of the patterned paper that I have been hoarding since the dawn of time. No, really, does anyone else have this problem? Ya walk into the local craft store and see this too cute paper. Hm, you say to yourself, I could use this for _____(insert project here) and so you walk out with said paper. It goes home and get filed into the special paper holder with all those other cool papers...of course then you have to stop and look at all the other papers that you are going to use for ______(again, insert project here) and never did. Its a vicious cycle. When I think back on it, my mother, who is a quilter has the same problem with fabrics. So I guess its a genetic thing... at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it like mono adhesive.

Happy Mothers Day

Hope that y'all had a great Mother's Day! We went out to a Mexican place for lunch and stuffed ourselves on chips and salsa. I had the most fab mushroom quesadilla ever!! I got to stamp for a while without interruption and spent alot of time playing catch up reading blogs. I think I'm officially hooked on reading blogs. There are so many talented people out there!

MIA

Where has the time gone? I've been missing in action here. Haven't had time to stamp or scrap, been trying to get the kids done with the school year. We are at t-minus 3 weeks and counting.

I thought I'd at least leave a card for ya'll to see. Will be back to regular stamping soon. I'm dying to see the new SU catty and am sad that so many sets are being retired this year.

Variations on a theme. Finally got a few cards done. Was thinking spring time. Hope you like.

We came, We saw, We shopped!

This week was Spring Break for the kids and me. Soo, the trip that we had put off 2 months ago finally became a reality! Mall of America here we come! We walked and walked! One of the sales clerks said that if you walk all the way around one level its a mile. I believe it.

But my daughter had a great belated 16th. She and her friend that came shopped until they literally dropped. We got up there and it was snowing! We froze! We had brought warm jackets, but with the wind chill it didn't help us much.
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Ok, so that was soo last weeks news.. Sorry y'all, but I have been battling the mother of all colds. I don't usually get sick ( and this is the first one this year) so when I do succumb, its usually a dozie. Easter came and went with me sleeping most of it away. I'm about at 60% right now..its hard to totally stop and recover when you are a mother. Anywho, have not done any stamping lately (going through major withdrawals). Hope to have stuff up and running again by next week.

No news is good news. At least thats how the saying goes. This past week I haven't been able to get anywhere close to doing any fun stamping. Finished up projects for my secret sister and mailed that out. And this week doesn't look at better, at least at the first part of it. We are, after 10 years tearing up the carpet and putting down hard wood floors. Its going to help so much with everyone's allergies and clean up will be a breeze. I will try to post my stamp camp items tomorrow. It just depends on if I am still able to move my body after moving all our stuff into the garage temporarily. :) Ah life.

I had the most fantastic Saturday! I got to get together with several other stampers from SCS and make so many wonderful projects and cards!! This was my card for the swap. I wanted to do something 'springy.' The 2 sets used are Flower Filled and the saying is from Loads of Love Accessories. The base is Lovely Lilac stamped on the side with versamark and the egg. Then layered with Certainly Celery that was distressed a bit and the main image stamped on white with bashful blue, certainly celery, and real red. The basket was cut out and popped up with dots and tied with a purple hemp. Stickles on the basket and center of flowers. Hope you enjoy.

What a weekend! Had a date night my hubby (for the longest time forgot what that was) enjoyed a fab Italian meal, watched a great hockey game ( not good if you have high blood pressure) and got to sleep in the next morning. YES!! Anywho..was stampin Saturday and came up with this. Used 2 sayings from Small Script and Edgy Eloquence on whisper white and sponged around the edges with bashful blue. Base is chocolate chip. patterned paper is from the local scrapbook store before they went poof. Pierced both the thin white strip and dark brown piece. Had to put stickles on the flower. Someone needs to take that bottle away from me!! I have too much fun with those. Ribbon and clip complete the card. Hope you like it.

I found a great group of ladies on Splitcoaststampers that have a monthly challenge to do 10 Christmas cards each month. That way by the end of the year they have them ready to go and not be caught unawares like I was.. (sorry, folks, I only got to the "L"s in the address book) So I joined them to try to get a head start. This was my March card. Almost Amethyst, Mellow Moss, Vintage Violet and Whisper white paper. The saying is a rub on. Used the square scalloped punch, pierced and then used white gel pen around hole. Stamped snowman with basic black, colored with pencils, blended with stump and gamsol. Used stickles on snowflakes, top of hat and buttons. The matching button is from SU! I think its safe to say I'm enjoying those stickles too much.

Yes, 2 more sets to cross off. Used the Favorite Friends (the warm weather has me thinking about hanging out at the pool) and Fun with Shapes. I used so saffron, cool caribbean, basic black and a bazzil red papers. Stamped the image in basic black and colored and used gamsol and stump. Then stickles on the sea grass, starfish on his swimming trunks and bubbles, and black gingham ribbon. I really need to learn how to do more close up with my camera.. oh well.

What a day! My eldest daughter came over and we stamped 24 cards for her to use for thank you and birthday. After she left I decided to play a bit more and actually came up with original works... Shock! The card on the left if using the retired set Country Vine and Cute Converse. Paper: whispers white, yellow brazzil, regal rose, and certainly celery. Inks: certainly celery, regal rose, yoyo yellow. Also stickles on the flowers, ribbon, piercing with white get faux stitiching, and frame from Queen & Co. (Frame-Girl set).

The 2nd card was one that she took, simple birthday or thank you on the bottom. Uses the Let's Party set and Simple Sayings II, Ink: Bashful Blue. Paper: bashful blue, whisper white, and pool party paper. Stickles on the candles and matching brads.

I hope that you enjoy these. I crossed out 20 sets on my list today. I was so excited. Whew..only 257 more to go.

A new week, a new chance to stamp. Got several projects done over the weekend. Dh got sick this weekend, so was trying to stamp in between work and making him feel better. Decided to use up some of the old forest foliage paper. Card uses FF, Close to Cocoa and confetti cream. I pierced the edges and faux stitched with a brown pen. The stamped images are sponged and bottom corner turned up and black brads with hemp string added. Woohoo, with this set and the ones I used this weekend I can add 6 more sets to my "stamp all sets at least once" challenge. To see the original card that I cased from check out:http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=454050

Where I have I been all week? No blogs, no new cards. Well, when I made the challenge to myself to stamp something from each stamp set that I had, I didn't realize I didn't know how many I had. So this week in the evenings when I usually have time to unwind and stamp I have been...but cataloging stamp sets and not making cards. These are just a few of the sets I stamped and orginized in catagories. I think its safe to say I have taken this craft to an unhealthy level...lol. I also have a stamp cabinet full also. I'm beginning to wonder if I have bitten off more than I can chew with this stamp from each set. Oh, well, I did find stuff that I had been looking for, for many years. I wonder if there is a 12 step program out there for stampers? Anyway, hopefully now, I will be stampin up a storm since I can find everything and know what I have. (hm, the new spring catalog came out...)

My sister asked for some thank you cards... and I had some more new ribbon laying around calling to me...so. No case here...an actual original...gasp. Ballet blue card with 2 red eyelets. Old olive pierced and saying from Little Boys set. Yea! Another set checked off my list. Main figure stamped in basic black, colored and blended with gamsol and stump. Layered with Bazzill blue and red. Matching envie stamped in old olive.

A new week has begun. Nice and sunny and cold. I had bought some ribbon at Michaels over the weekend and wanted to use it somehow. Was looking over ideas at SCS and ran across this. Chocolate chip base with mellow moss stamped with leaves from Best Blossoms ,masked and pierced down the sides. Saying from Friend to Friend set. Bird (from Natural Beauty) stamped on white and colored with pencils. Layer with artichoke, moss, then chocolate chip. Ribbon of course michaels. Yes, 3 more sets to add to my "use each stamp set at least once this year" The link to the case is: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=479734

From bad to worse...

Yesterday was a yucky, yucky day weather wise. Rain and thunder all day. Had all afternoon to stamp. I thought, "I'll get a bunch done." Yeah, right. I just couldn't get in the groove and everytime I tried to stamp, it just didn't come out the way I wanted. This was my first attempt at SC113. Oh, well...pressing onward, now that I've shown my junk cards, maybe my muse will return and I can get in the groove again. lol

Ever have one of those great ideas for a card, but when its made doesn't come close to what you had in your head? Combined 2 challenges (wed and thurs) from SCS using the sketch and non SU products. Blah. Oh, well, success with failure must be taken in small doses.

It has been beautiful here the past few days. Close to 70. We've thrown open the windows and enjoyed the promise of Spring. I had seen a card similar to this on SCS (see link below) and decided to change it a bit to be able to use this cute Hedgehog I got from Penny Black many years ago. The cardstock used is pretty in pink, apricot appeal, barely banana, certainly celery and whisper white. I stamped, colored and blended the image. Used the flower background stamp from Fresh Fillers set on the pink with versamark. Finally got to use the cute flower brads I had gotten from a secret sister last year. And to finish it off, white grosgrain. My goal this year is to use at least one stamp from every set that I have. I have some sets that were mounted but never used, at the time I just had to have them (I thought) but then never got around to using them like I thought I would. Does anyone else have that problem?

link to cased card:http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=485261

Just a few more pics and I'll be done with Italy. Hubby made it back home last night safe and sound from Rome. Sounded like he had a great time and made some new friends.

Promise...next entry will be stamping again...lol