Baby Update!

Only 32 days left until Baby Girl is due to arrive!
But I just got an email from my brother last night that said that every day she drops lower and lower so they are thinking that momma won't make it until May 5th, which is her due date.
This auntie is still holding onto hope that she wants to debut on April 30th, which is also my 30th birthday! Although I'll love her all the same if she's got plans of her own ;)
I'm sooo excited to get this month over with and be able to see her! I'll be out in her neck of the woods for two weeks in May, so I'm hoping she arrives before or just after I arrive.
I'm still waiting on a return email to see if they've picked another name.

Nice Matters Award

Ethel was nice enough to send me this cute little award to add to my blog, the other day.

She wanted to do this because "You were so quick and willing to respond to Teresa's fundraiser, and I am honored to know you. Thank you so much for adding a link on your blog."

Isn't that sweet!?!?

And over on the right there, there is a link to Ethel's other blog, Baskets for the Cause. Check it out! She's donating ALL 5 of those Longerberger baskets. Proceeds go right to Teresa's 3 Day Walk funds.

On a stamping note, I do have some stuff to share, and I'm still working on others. I'll be back later today to set up some posts. I'm trying to get all my swaps done BEFORE going on vacation at the end of the month. And some of them aren't due until June! So I'll have several things for you to peek at in the upcoming week.

A sweet Secret Sister gift

I'm currently in a Secret Sister Swap over at the Shack and have received my second package from my SS. To say I was excited and surprised is an understatement. Only a couple of days before it arrived, I had been looking at this SAME stuff! I don't know how she knew that, but I'm glad she did :)

So this morning I set to working on some stuff.

Here are two of the cards I made using the papers and the stamp set, which was sold out when I was looking at getting it!

The horizontal card uses both the papers and the stamps. The background paper is my favorite paper in this stack. I'm not sure what it is about it that makes me love it, but I do.

I also used the Monday Mojo #30 sketch from Poetic Artistry for the layout. The "pink" on the card is actually SU Purely Pomegranite. I stamped the flowers randomly on a piece of Whisper White and then sponged the edges. I stamped two extra flowers and cut them out as well as the "stamen" stamp. On the stamen stamp I used some clear Stickles to make it sparkle. I also used a large brad for the flower center. The brad was yellow though and I wanted it to match, so I rolled it around in my PP ink and heat set it, then coated it in some clear embossing powder. I then covered it with some more Stickles. The leaves of the flower are the same stamp but with green ink (It's SU, I just cant think which one I used right now). I took my paper piercer and used it to curl the ends of the flower tips so they'd stick out a little.

Another Mojo Monday Sketch here, I think it was #1. LOTS of layers here...this card weighs a lot! But I love these colors together.....Groovy Guava and River Rock.

For the flower background I first stamped in RR, followed by GG(stamped off once), and then used the flower outline stamp in GG again. Verve Visuals clear stamps make it easy to line up so easily!

A Chance to win beautiful Longerberger Baskets!

Want a chance to win these beautiful baskets?
Just visit Ethel's blog, Baskets For the Cure, and place your bid for these great baskets from a great company!
Ethel has so generously donated these baskets to help out Theresa, who is doing the Michigan 3 day Walk For the Cure in September. All proceeds from the basket auction will go to Theresa. How cool!
I've put links to both pages on my blog off to the right so you won't have to come back and search for this info.
Please help Theresa raise the required $2200, or make her a super star by putting her over that amount!
Thanks Theresa for your dedication!!!! You rock!!!!

Classic Easter cartoon

This is still a favorite of mine that pops up at this time of year in emails, messageboards, and posters.

I still remember getting these kinds of bunnies in my Easter basket when I was a kid. The chocolate is/was awful! It either had a very waxy texture, or was so incredible sweet I could only eat a small piece at a time. Most times it started to turn white (you know how chocolate gets, something to do with the fat in it) before I finished it and it would go in the trash.

I'm off this afternoon to spend the day with my friend and her 4 daughters. Lunch followed by Angel Food Cake, strawberries, and whipped cream....YUM! Anyone know if Costco is open today? LOL I forgot to go yesterday :o

Oh, and if you want to see an Easter card from me, this is my one and only that I made this year! And I just finished making it at that...lol

Last spring I bought two Hydrangea bushes and my friend oogled them all spring/summer. The size that they got over the summer led me to believe that they'd grow too big too fast to be out on my deck and I told her she could have them for her yard. But then fall came and the blooms died and I cut them off. And now this spring I have tiny little buds coming up and I think they'll be about the same size. So I'm keeping them...lol When I move to CA, I told her she could have the planters they are in, so she can have the Hydrangeas too and something to remember me by :)

In the mean time, I'm going to make a quick stop at Walmart before going to her house to see if they have them again this year. That'll will be her's and the girl's Easter gift from me.

The inside of the card is decorated also.

Papers are Basic Grey Blush line.
SU! cardstock, watercolor crayons, and ribbon(I rubbed the ink pad on the ribbon to tone down the brightness)
Distress Ink
Bunny stamp is from Inkadinkadoo (I think)
Machine stitching

Hospitality

I love this new set from Stampin' Up! She's all sassy and has some great sayings to go along with her attitude. The inside says "So I've decided to move in". I tried to make her look like me....lol I think the closest I got was the brown hair and the boring outfit :PMy plan, which of course, involves me remembering, is to bring this with me on vacation and leave it for my aunt and uncle to find when I leave their house.Although this may make them a tad too excited. They've been asking me for years to move down and live with them until I can get established on my own. And I keep turning them down.My aunt seems to think that when I do move down there, that I'll live with them until I find a house to buy or an apartment to rent. I think she's nuts...lol At that point I will have lived on my own for about 10 years. I think that would be too hard to do. Plus, my cat would have to be locked in the bedroom 24/7 because they don't want pets in their house. Not fair to him after having the run of the house.Wow, off topic much? lolAll products SU! except for some alcohol ink markers I've trying out. A cheaper answer to Copics. Not sure that I like them much though. They've got chisel tips (the only way they come) that make it a little difficult to color with.

First time folder

Beth did this tutorial on her blog the other day on the Dahlia fold and she made it look so simple! So of course I had to try it. It was pretty simple and except for a couple of minor spacing issues I think this card turned out pretty good :)

The paper's are Crate Paper. I love the texture they use! The ribbon and the stamps are new from Stampin' Up! This ribbon is awesome. A silky feeling with the durablity of grograin.

I also got the Janome Sew Mini last week so I've been playing with that more too. Not the best machine out there, but it gets the job done!

Clothes, clothes, and more clothes

Shhhhh, don't tell my managers, but last night at work I was sooo bored, I did a little shopping in prep for my vacation next month I ran into a good sale at Lane Bryant online where I ended up with 10 shirts and a pair of capri's. Because of the sale I ended up saving $80, plus I found a coupon code online to save an extra $75 when you spend $225......totalling a savings of $155! Wow! My favorite shirt in that order was this one (I can't get the picture to work for some reason). I can't wait to get it. I hope it fits me as nicely as it fits the model.

Then in my search for a cool purse from LeSport Sac (which I didnt find), I ended up at the Lane Bryant Outlet where I ran into another sale....40% off everything in the store! In the end I ended up saving another $80 there and getting 4 pairs of jean shorts, 2 shirts, and 3 tank tops. And I spent half the money that I spent online. Score!

Last stop was Famous Footwear. I ended up getting 4 pairs of shoes there.

These, these, these, and these. Their sale was buy 1 get 1 half off. Couldn't resist!

All set for vacation now. Just need to finish up some stuff for my little niece who will be here in about 6 weeks and I'm done.

Happy Thursday everyone! I'll be back tomorrow with another card or two. I didn't have time yesterday to make one and post it.

Just For You

Those of you who visit the gallery at the Shack have already seen this. But I wanted to add it to the blog for those of you who don't go there.

Ive been coveting this stamp since it's debut sometime last year.

While in CA last month I bumped into it by accident at a store called Beverly's in Modesto.

One left, and it was allllll mine!

K&Co papers

Prima Flowers

Stickles

SU Watercolors

Creative Imaginations rhinestone brads

More Changitos

These little guys crack me up! It's refreshing to see a set of stamps that aren't so prim and proper...lol And it reminds me of most of my childhood years with my brother.

I had to send my dad something so I made up this card to do so. I bet this looks familiar to him too....lol

Papers are K&Co (again!). Ribbon is May Arts. Brad from Stampin' Up! These Amigos are stamped in Stazon and colored with SU! Watercolor Crayons.

Acrylic Changitos. Another fun set by Stampendous.

I paired with some DP from Stampin' Up! that I got in my last package.

Changitos are stamped onto the DP and also some Whisper White and cut out.

Punches are also SU! as well as the brads.

The second part of the sentiment is stamped in the lower right hand corner of the inside of the card.

Bright Birthday Wishes

Another set of stamps bought from a Shackie. I think it's time that I go thru my room and offer some up for sale too. I have a hard time parting with my stamps though...lol A lot of sets get little use, but when it comes down to parting with them, I just can't do it!

Anyway, this card has multiple layers, and its heavy! This one will take an extra stamp to mail should it's owner decide to mail it. (I sell most of my cards to the girls at work)

Cardstock is Stampin' Up! Pattern Paper is DCWV. Stamps are TAC (I think). "Happy Birthday" is from Inkspirations. Image is colored with my SU! Watercolor Crayons.

Another acrylic stamp set that made it's way into my cart while I was in California last month.

The maker of this set escapes me right now, and with a cat laying on my legs, I can't get up to check it out, but trust me....all the images are just as cute! And the example cards on the back of the packaging are adorable.

More K&Co papers. Stampin' Up! Whisper White cardstock and watercolor crayons. Stazon ink used for images. SU! Basic Black Marker for border. Brad and punch also by Stampin' Up!

Oh, and a little Stickle action going on here too. Can you tell I love my Stickles!?!? LOL

A happy St. Patrick's Day to you too! I don't really celebrate, but I can appreciate the "holiday". :)

Anniversary Birds by Verve Visual

Probably my new favorite set that I've bought in awhile!
When I saw this card by Amy Westerman, I knew I had to get this set! And it inspired both of these cards. Both in color and in style!


Papers are from two different K&Co paper stacks that I bought while in California. The paper is thick, double sided, textured, and beautiful! And a great value at $3.99!
Cardstock is Stampin' Up! Ink is Stazon. Ribbon is May Arts. Brads are Stampin' Up!
I punched two hearts out using an old punch that I never use. But they were two big for the image so I cut them down to a new sizing.

A Hedgie Note

I had originally bought this stamp for a Hedgie swap over at the Shack, but once I got it in the mail I realized it was a little too big to use on an ATC. It would have fit, but it would have been a tight squeeze with no room for anything else.

The paper is Arctic Frog and I got it on sale over at Verve Visual. Which, by the way, if you've never bought anything from Verve, head over there and fill up a cart! Her prices are awesome, the shipping is insanely quick!!, and her customer service rocks! During her last new release, I ordered on a Saturday morning and got the stamps on Monday afternoon. Whoa!

Anyway, I colored my hedgie with Prisma pencils and odorless mineral spirits. Added a little sparkle with some Stickles. The ribbon I had in my stash, Im unsure who makes it. The brad is from Creative Imaginations.

New Changitos!

Stampendous recently released these new Changito stamps and I desperately wanted them. So this little happy flower along with the amigos and the birthday one made it's way into a purchase one day when I, on a whim, stopped by the stamp store near me that I rarely go to! As I went to the counter with my 2 bottles of Stickles, the lady said to me..."have you seen the new Stampendous stamps yet?" And I did a little happy dance and snatched up what she had. They hadnt even made it onto the shelf yet! To complete my collection, I just need to find some place to buy the saying that goes along with the amigos. I want to make a card for my bff. We have a wacky friendship and we both always wonder why we are even friends. Very little in common except for scrapbooking and our love of laughing.

The ATC bug has hit me.

Thanh and I have had a discussion before about ATC's. She's a fan, me, not so much! I just couldn't see the point of them.

Then one day I had the urge to join some swaps over at the Shack. ATC swaps were running rampant over there, so I decided to join a couple.

This one is for a Black and White ATC swap. I LOVE how it turned out!

I used my Scor-Pal to score an 8x8 piece of Whisper White cardstock. I then cut it down to 2.25x3.25 and mounted it to Basic Black. I used my SU! Basic Black marker to make dots in the center of each diamond. I stamped the Daisy Bucket stamp in Stazon and on a separate piece of Whisper White. I cut out and mounted it with pop dots. A small bow made from SU! ribbon completes it.

I had originally thought it was going to be a tough swap to do because of the limiting of colors. But it was quite simple once the idea of using the Scor pal entered my head.

And below is a card I made using an extra ATC that I made for this swap. As you can tell, Im in love with the Scor-pal and Im using it every chance I can get!

The ATC is mounted in the center of the card and then I scored two boxes around it.

Stamp from Stampin' Up! with Stampin' Up! white craft ink.

Sometimes, it just doesn't work in your favor

See that little brad there in the center? That was what started this card. I wanted to use it.
I looked around for paper that matched and happen to have these scraps laying on my table.

Grabbed a few more flowers, my scallop scissors and a SU! set and went to work.

Well, sometimes you win some, sometimes you lose.

I think I lost this fight.

Is it the worst card I've ever made? Nope. Do I like it? Eh, I'm not sure yet.

All was well until I stamped the sentiment and it turned out slightly crooked.

After that, I wasn't that happy with this card.

I should have cut the flap a little bit lower.

Oh well.

Feel better soon!

I bought this line of stamps from a fellow Shackie a few weeks ago and Im totally in love with them. I know they are just ants, but they are SO cute, and I love their big eyes.

This card was done for all of you suffering from the cruddy virus that's been going around for a couple of months. I paid my dues early on, so I feel for those of you now dealing with it. The good news....it goes away pretty quickly. The bad news....the cough and the yucky stuff hang around in your throat for a few weeks.

Stamps are TAC (I think). Cardstock is Stampin' Up! Pattern Paper is DCWV. Ribbon is from Michaels. I also used my SU! mat pack.

Pre-typed blogger posts

I just may get back into this blogging thing yet!
I just found out that Blogger is trialing the ability to write posts in advance and schedule their publishing. So next week I plan to sit down and pre-schedule some posts and trial that out.
Last night I finished reorganizing my stamping room to the point that I was able to play for a few hours with some new stamps and papers Ive been collecting, so I'll have a bunch of new cards to share. And many of them turned out dang cute, if I do say so myself!
So hang in there (my limited visitors...lol) and I promise to show you some stuff by Tuesday. :)

Mojo Monday, on Thursday

And if that doesn't confuse you enough, this card was actually made on Tuesday...lol

I love the Mojo Monday sketches posted at Poetic Artistry, and this one was done for #23.

Paper, stamps, inks, and brads are Stampin' Up!

Ribbon is Martha Stewart from Michaels.

Large grommet is from the Crop-A-Dile Big Bite sold on HSN a few weeks ago. I definately recommend buying it if you come across it. It makes a great tool in addition to the original CAD.

This makes me happy....

Three months and Baby girl will be here!!!! I can't wait! Oh, and her name isn't Abigail anymore, need to fix the ticker :0

I got an invitation for her baby shower the other day (I wont be able to go...waaaaa!) that has the two stores her mommy and daddy are registered at. While browsing both registries I was just oogling all the stuff and getting even more excited. And wanting to buy every stinkin' thing they what for this little girl!

The bedding Morgan (baby girls mommy) picked out is soooo pretty! I can't wait to see her nursery. And take pictures of her in it. :)

Next week I'll be on vacation in California and working on Baby girls birth announcements. Once they are finished, Ill post a picture here. If everything comes out on a paper like it's set up in my head, they should be pretty cute, especially once her picture is added to the front of them.