Fresh Squeeze

Earlier today I was thinking about summer (as the snow was falling outside!) and I started thinking of my Tart and Tangy stamp set. Then I started thinking about lemonade, which is so good on a hot day. Mainly, I wanted a glass with the lemon slice over the edge. So i was thinking and thinking, not sure what to do. I thought velumn would make a good glass. So this is what I came up with, isn't it fun! This card says summer to me.

This is how I made it: I started with summer sun, put the Good Morning Sunshine DSP on the top, used So Saffron Ribbon from the SAB Catalog across the front and closed with a brad from my hodgepodge hardware set. Next I took a peice of velumn and ran it through with the Background 1 Texturz Plates, I used the edge to act as the lip of the glass. I then used dimensionals for the glueing. Once the glass was mounted, I filled with shreds of yo-yo yellow CS. I took a peice of the polka dot paper from Pink flamingo and rolled up into a straw. I used crystal effects and glitter to create a sticky lip on the glass. The lemon is the tart and tangy stamp in yo-yo yellow with some dazzling diamonds glitter. Next I stamped the yummy image on more pink flamingo DSP using ballet blue ink and mounted with sticky strip. Finally, I added a few flowers using the Eastern Blooms set and ballet blue for the first and old olive on mellow moss for the second.

Per my usual, I want to put it into a few contests, first, the So Shelli creative challenge- http://www.soshelli.com/contest/- which features SAB sets. Second, I wanted to put it in the Flourishes timeless tuesday challenge- http://flourishesnewsletter.blogspot.com/2009/02/timeless-tuesday_23.html- which features velumn. Wish me luck and enjoy some nice cold lemonade. :)

Broadway's Lion King

OK, I know this blog is supposed to be about stamping and usually is, but I have to tell you about the Lion King. I went last night to the Paramount (in Seattle) to see this production and it was F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! I recommend it to anyone. My husband, who isn't big into musicals (at least not the movie kind like Sound of Music), loved it too. The thing that most amazed me was costumes and set. I have a couple of pictures below:

I can tell you that while these pictures are good, they do not come close to capturing the reality of how beautiful and ingenious they were. They aren't as bright as the real thing, you don't get to see the amazing set and it's fluidity, nor do you get to see the movement. The movement of these peices was so incredible, and while most everything costume had some features that were abstract (aside from Timone and pumba here), it still hit the character right on the mark! My favorites, which I don't have a photo of, were the hyenas and the gazzell machine. The actors of course were incredible at dancing and singing. The best part is that several times during the show the animals come down the aisles from behind, so cool. I was was on teh aisle seat, and this big huge elephant brushes my sleve (I mean huge, there must have been at least two guys operating it) and I watched a hyena nip at a girl. :)

Anyway, nuf said, check it out if you get the chance!

Feeling Springy

Last night I wanted to post these and I had a lot to say, but now I am here it is early and the morning and my mind is drawing a blank. What was I going to say?!? Well I am not sure, so I'll just have to give you the low down on what I have been making the last few days. So,with out further ado...

...Actually, a little more ado is required because all of the below cards are considered stepping outside the box for me. First of all, this card below made with the Trendy Trees wheel (not the stamp set). When I first saw the set in the new catalog I wanted it, but I was trying to be better about spending, so I thought, I'll just get the wheel. After I ordered it, I was thinking, "that was dumb, it will be hard to color on a wheel so I will be stuck with one color :(." Then I had an aha moment. I decided to unmount the wheel as I have seen Mary at Stampin' Pretty do (http://www.stampinpretty.com/). It is super easy, all you do is take an exacto knife (I am the only person who calls them that, everyone else I know calls them a hobby blade?... I digress) and cut along the seam of the wheel. Then I simply peeled the wheel up and I have my rubber stamp unmounted. I bought a long acrylic block to mount it on and some EZ mount (http://sundayint.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=57) or something similar, I can't remember the brand. This is so great for those of you that prefer to store you stamps unmounted as a space saver, because you can continually reuse the mounting product with different stamps, by peeling the stamp off and recovering it with the little plastic sheet. Once I had that done, it was easy to use once-wheel, now-stamp to make the below image, and it was fun to color. :) The other thing I did differently this time, aside from using this type of three colored layout which I have never done, is that I didn't include a sentiment. I ALWAYS include a sentiment. Instead, I added a few of those coveted buttoms for flair. :)

Speaking of buttons, you might notice a few more below as well as some rub-ons and DSP that I love. The funny thing about me is that I hoard stuff. If it is consumable (especially if it will potentially retire), I will want to save it until that right moment. However, the moment might never come because I refuse to use the product I love so much. So, this was a good exercise for me. This card doesn't have a sentiment either and it was a funky layout with funky colors which I love. To me it has a very modern and geometric feel. WHOA! Hold the phones! I am expanding my horizons!!!

Finally, card number 3. I stamped the image the other day using the Inspired by Nature set I had borrow from a friend, but didn't complete the card. I love Black-Eyed Susans which is basically a daisy like flower in these colors- example below- it just screams spring to me and reminds me of my dads flower beds in the yard. I threw in a few different ribbons to go along, which I thought were fun. The last little touch (which is a little hard to see) is that I put dots all around the border, white on the blackand black on half of the So Saffron. This is Faith Hofritcher's trademark, which I love. WARNING: Before you click on Faith's blog link, please take one last look at all my posts, because once you go there, you may never come back! Faith (aka Markie's Mom) is an extraordinary artist, her cards are amazing and I hope to learn a thing or two from her! OK, here is the blog link, but please, please come back to my comparatively rinky-dink operation!!!! :) - http://stampinwithmarkiesmom.blogspot.com/

So I guess I had a lot to say afterall. :) I hope you enjoy this post. Comments are greatly appreciated and always welcome.

Oh- PS- I get to go the The Lion King with my husband tonight, I am soooooo excited. If you come back tomorrow (please, please, please don't ditch me for Faith), I will let you know how it went. ;)

Inspired by Nature...again!!!

As with the Butterfly garden below, I had borrowed the set and it needed returned, so I went crazy with the Inspired by Nature Stamps. I LOVE this stamp set (currently on the dormant list but not retired!). Isn't it pretty!?! I also love cards made with purple and green, these colors are just soothing and complimentarty to me. So here are two I made using those combos.

It is so funny, I love the one on the left because the flowers are dark and stand out, but I love the one on the right because the flowers are more subtle- exact opposite reasons! Which one do you like best and why?

Little Marvin Martian

OK, first off, let me say that I apologize because the image is a little blury. :( I didn't realize and I would happily take another photo, BUT I gave this card to my friends son for his 3rd birthday and it is gone.... so, you'll just have to live with it! ;)

So now you know why I made this card. I wanted to make him something with a monkey on it since the party theme was Curious George picked by him, but I only have one monkey stamp and I loaned it to his mom so she could make thank you cards with it, what is a girl to do?! I figured he would be just as happy with a spaceship and a little martian.

I have to tell you that I had a really difficult time with this card. I knew I wanted to use these two stamps and have the spaceship be the A in blast, but what? Mostly it was the layout that killed me. Finally (after about an hour with this and the party being the next day), I just said, enough is enough! Maybe if I had time to put it down and look again later or next day, but I didn't. And actually, I like the card and think it turned out OK.

So we went to the party with this in tow and a present. My daughter (with my help) made a big S inside for Samo (the birthday boy) or it could be a "from Sophie" kind of S, or perhaps both! :) My daughter is only 16 months old, so she was pretty content to play by herself, but I tell you that party was wild!

Once everyone arrived (the kids were already playing inside) we all had some food, pizza for the kids and Peruvian for the adults- yum! Then outside to ride around in the Power Wheels Escalade- whoa! Samuel got this for Christmas from his dad as a sort of, "good-bye big presents" item- they are expecting a little sister in July, so Samo won't be an only any more... Anyway, all the kids wanted to ride, except Sophie, what did she care right (again only 16 mos)? But Samo wanted her to ride. :) So we finally got her in and strapped her in. Samo promised to go slow. I think she was amused by it. The funny part is that Ana (my friend) and I joke about having Sophie and Samo get married. So here they are in the Escalade, she has her arm over the side and it just looks like the man is takin' his lady for a ride doesn't it (pic below). I just thought it was so funny, like they are just, "pimpin' their ride!"

Anyway, that is just about the most long winded blog I have ever posted and now I am pooped! :) Hope you have a good day.

Butterfly Garden

My friend Heather let me borrow her stamp set Inspired by Nature about two weeks ago and I had (as of earlier today) yet to use it. I wanted to return it to her, so I figured I better get going. I made about 6 cards using this same set, I haven't quite finished them all, but here is the first.

I call this one Butterfly Garden. I love the white on the black and then I bordered it with taken with teal cardstock. Then I wasn't sure what to do. I was playing around with color combos and decided that a nice bright yellow would be good. So I stamped the butterflys in black on the current sale-a-bration DSP. I chose the DSP because there was a little bit of different shades that could show through. I then embossed the butterflys with gold emboss powder and cut them out. The butterflys are from the Dream's Du Joir set and the hostess set God's Beauty. I like the effect it created.

Oh and again, this one will work for the flourishes timeless tuesday challenge- http://flourishesnewsletter.blogspot.com/2009/02/timeless-tuesday_16.html

Petal Party Card kit

This weekend I had a fun Emergency Birthday Card Class. The class was compliments of Andrea Walford. This class is done with a simply scrappin' kit and a few extra items. It was such a fun class and I have to admit I love the ease with which you can create cards by using the scrappin' stickers. It is so nice to be able to peel them up and replace if you make a mistake, all the colors already coordinate with eachother, the paper, etc., pretty much everything you need is there. It is really great for beginners too, I had a mom and daughter pair and they both did great! So, I decided to take the Petal Party SU! Scrappin' Kit and make some cards from that. Here are three of the 16 different cards I made (and this was only HALF- actually a little less than- of the scrappin' kit!!!).

Tutorial coming soon- if you are interested in this tutorial, please contact me via email.

Live in MN- then enjoy some goodies!

My good friend Krista, who lives in MN, has a small, out of the home baking operation. She has been hired to make holiday treats, wedding cakes and everyday baked goods. I can attest that they are YUMMY, especially those macaroons (to die for!).

So, if you live in that neck of the woods, give her a shout, you'll get some tasty treats out of it, I promise!!! If you don't live in that neck of the woods, well, I know she is working on doing mail order business, so stay tuned. You can check out her blog here- www.sweettoothmn.blogspot.com.

OK, now get out your nappy, wipe up the drool and either order some of your own or get back to work! :)

Blog Candy Winner!!!

And the nominee goes to....Destynee! Her number was selected using random.org.

Destynee's comment was- #1 "Too cute! I am sure the parents will love them too."

Congrats!! I will be in touch with you to get your 6X6 pack of raspberry tart DSP. And thank you for everyone who stopped by and left a comment at my "13 thoughts for 13 tiny tots" post!

PS- there were only 6 of you, so the odds were pretty good. Next time it will be one of the other 5 of you I imagine! :)

Happy Valentines Day!

If you read my newsletter, you know that I am happy to be done with hearts! no more hearts for a while please! But... I did have a wonderful valentines day. It started out slow and casual and I made my family pancakes- Sophie got a heart shaped one. :) Then we took her to the zoo, and she is finally starting to notice the animals, so that was fun. We also bought her a mylar balloon- she loves balloons. Then we came home and relaxed. I enjoyed the flowers my husband and daughter bought me. We all made cards together- which is pretty much insane since my husband vowed to not do crafts. But how sweet, he wanted to make one for me since I love to make them so much. You should also know that he decided it is much harder than he thought and has a new respect for paper and stamping crafts. :) Here is the card I made for my husband and daughter using Cheep Talk. Mommy bird bringing hearts to daddy and baby. I used the new specialty paper with clouds, love that paper!

After Sophie went to bed, my husband made me a special surf and turf dinner. Filet Minon and lobster with baby carrots cooked with dill and green beans. YUM! It was really good, thanks honey!

Oh and PS- what did I give my hubby besides pancakes. A gift certificate to Gamefly- he loves video games! Happy Heart Day!

Can you say obsessed?

Admittedly when I first saw this paper I wasn't sure about it- thought maybe it was a litttle much. Gradually however, I came to like it. As soon as I got some in my hands, it was LOVE! I have had images of this card in my head ever since! I have, however, had other things to do. This afternoon, I went home sick and slept for three hours, straight. Then I went to get my daughter at daycare and spent the evening with her. Next, I finally got to make this card, so yes, you could call me obsessed.

This colors are quite fabluous together (More Mustard, Taken with Teal, Cameo Coral). I think this set is perfect- Eastern Blooms- the lines in the flowers accent the paper perfectly. Oh, and I used the congratulations Sale-a-bration set for the sentiment. :) Now, because I still feel icky, and I am going to bed. Good night!

13 Thoughts for 13 Tiny Tots & Blog Candy

I finally finished Valentines for my 15 month old daughter's daycare. I really struggled trying to figure out what to make for the kids. I didn't want to give 1-2 year olds candy, but I didn't want their valentine to be plain either. I know, I know, they don't even know what Valentine's Day is, but their parents do and might appreciate it. Plus don't you think they deserves something in return for their cuteness?! I do, so here is what Imade, "Thirteen Thoughts for Thirteen Tiny Tots!"

These little cards are only 2X2! I made them to fit right into SU!'s Bigshot Scallop Envelope. I think they are super cute and perfect for little ones. I think they will be interested in touching the pretty paper and the button that rises off the paper. Hopefully their parents will like them too! :)

Supplies used:
CS- Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette, Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss, Mellow Moss, Whisper White, Raspberry Tart DSP
Stamps: A Happy Heart
Ink: Pixie Pink and Pink Passion
Accessories: SU! Scallop Envelope Die, Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3'8" Circle Punch, 1/2" Punch, Silver Cord (Holiday Mini), Buttons (non- SU), Piercing Tool, Sticky Strip and Snail

Oh and PS- This also works for the Flourishes Newsletter Challenge, use of bottons- http://www.flourishesnewsletter.blogspot.com/
and also caardvarks challenge, hearts- http://caardvarks.blogspot.com/

PPS- If you leave a comment on this post, you will be entered to win some blog candy- 6X6 pack of Raspberry Tart DSP. To qualify comments must be written by the end of the day on 2/16/09 (midnight). The winner will be picked the following day using a random name generator. Good Luck! :)

Pretty as a Peacock

I made this card for flourishes Feb. Challenge- http://www.flourishesnewsletter.blogspot.com/. It is inspired by the colors in a peacock feather. I used 3 layers of flowers, tryed bleaching for the first time on the top layer- it gives a bit of a metallic-ish color which I like. I like the way the ribbon, embossed "happiness" and the little rhinestones stand out. I had fun making
this card.

Color Challenge

So the color challenge didn't go so well :(. BUT, I will leave the picture up and the list of colors so that you can try it on your own if you want.

Cameo Coral, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss and Glorious Green.

I like your style!

This is for another of Kristna Werner's Color Inspiration Challenges- http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/. I love doing these, it just helps me to think outside the box. (I am sure I have said that before).

I call this "I like your style" because I think the little Bee is Stylin! This little guy says hey, look at me, I am not the same as everyone else, I am my own person (actually bee). i think he is pretty cute. Hope you find this card of this challenge inspiring as well.

Update- 2/6/09- I am glad Kristina will continue to do the Color Challenges, but sad she won't do the round up. :( I have decided to try my own, if you want to try my color challenge click here- http://kbstamps.blogspot.com/2009/02/time-for-my-own-challenge-sic-1.html

Tu B'Shevat

Tu B'Shevat means "New Year of Trees" on the Jewish Calendar and is celebrated on Feb. 9, 2009. I was asked by Chabad of Snohomish County, a Jewish Organization, to come and create cards for a ladies night, which I am doing on Feb. 8th, day before. We talked about doing something birthday themed in relation to the new year for trees. I came up with two cards- one birthday and one more generic thinking of you, but with a tree as the image. I hope the ladies enjoy making these projects, I did.

How BIG is your wish list?!

Do you have 4 or more stamp sets on your wishlist, or are you constantly buying paper? Then you should consider being a demonstrator. You can do so at various levels from "Hobbyst" to "Super Serious"! ;) SU is offering %15 percent of starter kits right now, plus you can get an additional stamp set priced up to $47.95, this deal is valued at $335+ and you only pay $169 plus shipping!!! Below is what you get in the starter kit (not including your extra set!)

Stamps:
Eastern Blooms*
Fun & Fast Notes*
Big Bold Birthday*
Fundamental Phrases*
Fast Flowers Stampin’ Around® Wheel*

Accessories:
Stampin’ Around Self Inking Handle (standard)
Ink Cartridge (standard)* -Pixie Pink
Stampin’ Pastels®
2 pkgs. assorted color card stock (8-1/2"x 11")*Bold Brights®
Whisper White card stock (8-1/2" x 11")*
(Neutrals at same price)
SNAIL Adhesive®
Large Kraft Parisian Damask Décor Elements™*
Décor Elements Applicator Tool
Stampin’ Scrub®
Stampin’ Mist®
VersaMark® pad
Blender Pens
Classic Stampin’ Pad®*Basic Black, Real Red, Green Galore, Brilliant Blue and Pixie Pink

Business Supplies:
• Getting Started DVD
• Getting Started Guide
• Guest Invitation Postcards (100)
• Catalogs (8)
• Catalog Sampler (1)
• Mini Catalogs (8—when available)
• Décor Elements brochure (1)
• Recruit Folders (5)
• Recruit Brochures (20)
•To My Hostess Envelopes (10)• Hostess Benefits Forms (10)
• Hostess Brochures (20)
• Customer Order Forms (50)

Items with an asterix can be exchanged with an alternate item at equal or lesser value.

Let me know if you have questions- katieannbrooks@gmail.com