Busy creating, but Photoshop is being a snot!

I have to find my copy of PS and re-upload it because it's not allowing me to import pictures. I have to go the long way around getting them onto the computer, and it's really too much work :P

But I've been working on cards, swaps (ATC's), circle journals, bridal shower announcements, and shower favors. Very crafty this past week and only one photo to show for it!

This is the large announcement I made to put up at work. My BFF's sister, and one of my good friends, is getting married in September. I've been helping her with wedding stuff since the beginning of the year, and now we're getting to the real fun stuff.....the parties!!!

My BFF found the poem on the internet some where. We used it in a smaller version on the set of cards that we mailed out. I still need to take a picture of that card. Another post, another day :)

Believe it or not, that pink striped paper in the background is still left over from my niece's birth announcements. I split half the scraps with my aunt and brought back the rest. We used up some on the 35 shower announcements we made last weekend. I used 4 strips on this sign, and I still have a stack left! Talk about your money's worth! :D

Have a great weekend. I'm signed up for 3 twelve hour shifts. I've had 5 nights off and it's been heavenly. Anyone know a single, cute, kind, rich bachelor that wants a wife who makes cards for a living? ;)

Just Because

In my last SU! order I finally ordered the dog tag punch. Fits this sentiment from Verve Visual perfectly. Another punch behind the white for a shadow affect.

And my latest love is Fun Flock. I just ordered a bunch from Ellen Hutson's store. She's got a GREAT price on them!

Paper is SEI Black Orchid. I used my Zig glue pen to color in the flower and then pressed the Fun Flock on. Butterfly is colored with Copic Tender Pink (RV13) and the some sparkle added with a clear Spica glitter pen.

Feela Bella

I bought a bunch of "new" Bella's from a Shackie and decided before they got put into the vault that I would try them out.

I copied the layout of this card from a card that I received from a Shackie in a swap. Her's is MUCH cuter but I loved the way the card is situated.

Papers are Bazzill Basics Bling, and Arctic Frog. Stamps are from Stamping Bella. Colored with Copic Markers. I added a little bit of Kleenex coming out of the box for affect. Machine stitched with my Janome Sew Mini.

It's too beautiful to sleep!

I'm really supposed to be sleeping since I have to work tonight. But the sun is shining and right now it says it's 64* here in my room. Don't laugh...this is the best weather we've had in WEEKS! And the forcast says back to our 50's and rainy tomorrow :(

But instead I'm in my stamp room playing with sketches.

And of course, now that I'm settled back home, it's back to Julee's Mojo Monday :)

This is MM42. Papers are SEI Oasis. Cardstock and ribbon is SU! Ink is SU! and Ranger Van Dyke Brown. Stamps are Verve Visual (do you sense a theme here? I couldn't help it....on Julee's last release I bought them ALL!!!!)

Our Creative Corner Challenge #1

I'm a blog addict. I fully admit that. If you could only see my "blogs" folder listed under my favorites folder, you'd agree with me. Part of my daily routine when I get home from work is to log in and check email and then go straight to my blogs to see what everyone has posted for the day. If you check further down my own blog on the right, you'll see a listing of just some of them.

And this weekend I weeded through and deleted about 20 blogs that were either inactive, or I just didn't check in much. It' still leaves me with a list that I have to scroll about 3 pages to visit all. With that kind of list, you'd think I'd have creativity pouring out of me and my own blog would be going crazy. But....NOPE! I drool at the amazing talent, find a website to buy the products, wait for them to get here, play with whatever I've bought once, and then it goes into the vault with all the other things that I forget I have ;)
So I've been trying to find more sketch challenges to get me going. And I found one that is off to a great start!
Our Creative Corner is created and run by a couple of bloggers already in my list, and a few more that will soon be added!
So when I saw their very first challenge posted on Saturday, I hopped right on board. (And then got lazy and didn't photograph the cards). Until now.

Late on all accounts.....

* Late posting the card I made on Saturday
* Late taking the photograph and getting it up here on my blog.
* Late on getting my Father's Day gift in the mail to my dad! Sorry Dad!
But at least he has a great card using a neat sketch on his way to him. And truth be told....he didn't even know when Father's Day was, and really doesn't care if he gets a gift either. He's easy that way.

Papers are Basic Grey Recess. Cardstock and ink is SU! Stamps are Verve Visual. Brads are Making Memories.

Then I couldn't stop there. My friend needed a card for her dad too, so I grabbed the same sketch, the same products and turned it into a square card that I liked just as well as the first one.

Finally, some crafty sharing

ATC love! That's all I can say.

About a year ago Thanh and I had a discussion about ATC's

and if I remember correctly, I stated "What's the point!?!"

I truly didn't see the point in spending your time and materials trading these

little things. Then she convinced me to join an ATC swap.

Where, I admit, I had fun working on something so small that I was able to get done

so quickly. And then I forgot about swaps for awhile.
Until this spring.

Now I find myself not only joining ATC swaps, but hosting them!

These are the 3 that I have due currently.

ATC #1 is for a swap that Im hosting....a girlie girl them.

Papers are Prima, girl stamps are TAC (I think), saying stamp is Verve Visual,

gems are Offray (from Walmart), ribbon is Offray.

I also used my Spica glitter pen to color her shirt,

and paper pieced her pants with the Prima Paper.

ATC #2 is going ALLLLL the way to the United Kingdom!

She's on her way there now!

She's for a Little Ladies ATC swap.

Last month while on the plane to Chicago I was looking thru

some card magazines and spotted

this ribbon weave on a card.

I knew I wanted to do it,

and as soon as I saw the cute little dress on this stamp set,

I knew that's what I needed to do.

The stamps were sent to me by my previous Secret Sister.

Aren't they adorable!

SU! cardstock. Ribbon is SU! and May Arts.

Image colored with Copic Markers (a gift from my current Secret Sister :) ).

Finally, ATC #3 was done for a swap that Thanh is hosting.

Under the Water is the theme.

I dug into my SU! sets that I haven't used in awhile and came up with

this fishy :) I made the hook,

and used the "grass" from a Verve Visual set to make the seaweed.

I colored the fishy with Spica Glitter Pens and then pop dotted him for dimension.

Next swap due is a little duckie ATC swap (waiting for supplies now) that's going to the Netherlands! :o Followed by a ribbon swap...Yummy!

Then, I'm caught up till August :-)

Grrrr...stupid computer parts!

I've finally been working on some stuff to post here...woo hoo! I've joined about 20 ATC swaps at The Shack, and have been working to try and get those done way before their due dates, as some of them need to travel over seas.
Get on the computer to upload the pics (and some engagement photos I took) and my computer wont recognize my card reader :( Last time I used it (like the 3rd time I used this brand new one, as my old one broke while in CA) it got SO hot that the underside of the reader melted and bubbled a little. It was still working when it was like that, but since I haven't used it in a week or so, now it wont work.
So today it looks like I get to go back to radio shack and see if they'll replace it. Grrrrr!
Hopefully later today I'll have a new reader and get something up here! I have the most adorable ATC to show off using some stamps sent to me from the U.K. and ribbon weaving that I tried out :)