Baby it's cold outisde.......

Sorry about the break - it really has been a busy few weeks and I think it'll be busy right through the holidays!

Here are a few Christmas cards I made last week. I love the ribbon on this first one. It's red and white twill tape. It came on something I bought and I wish I could find it somewhere - so cute and easy to tie!

I love this paper by Paper Salon, I used it on my Christmas cards last year and this is what I had left over.

Supplies: Stamp sets: In the Spotlight, Short and Sweet, and Riveting, Stampin' Up. Cardstock: Ruby Red, Certainly Celery, Whisper White, Stampin' Up. Pattern Paper: Paper Salon Accesories: scallop punch, slit punch, 1 3/8" Circle punch, gingham ribbon, Stampin' Up. Rhinestone stickers, Stampendous.

I used the Stampin' Up slit punch on the bottom of the card. I love the way that tunrs out. I used a paper piercer to accent the scallops.

I'm still here.....

Don't think I've given up on the whole blogging thing just yet. I'm sorry, it's just been a really busy last couple of weeks. I'll have some stuff to post soon - by Saturday, I promise! So, make sure to check back next week!

Paper Dolls.......

I LOVE my Bellas! I seriously need more of them! I feel like I'm 12 again. They are so fun to dress and they are drawn in such a way that they are easy to cut out. It's probably obvious, but what I've done is stamp my Cosmobella on whisper white cardstock and then stamp her again on various pattern papers that would look cute as her clothes. I cut those pieces out and glued them to the original stamp. I colored her in with my Copic markers - baby flesh is the color. For those of you that follow that link - I did NOT buy a set of these markers! I WISH!!! That would be a lot of work - Jeni, don't laugh! I have 5 of them that I got at ArtMart, a local art supply store. People do some amazing things with these markers - I'm a novice. I just use them to color in my images without any tricks (maybe someday I'll learn!)
This is also the first time I've used my Build-A-Brads from Stampin' Up. I LOVE those also! They WILL be a staple. You have to get some! If you do, make sure you also get a 1/2" circle punch or you'll be pretty ticked the first time you go to use them.
When I first started scrapbooking, 3 1/2 years ago, I bought some denim patterned paper and never used it, well tonight I got the chance!
Hope you like it - it's going to go to a very good friend!

What a difference a year makes.......

It's really hard for me to believe that last Halloween, Syd went Trick-or-Treatin' in a walker. She could only take a step or two on her own. Look at where she is now:



If you're wondering, she is dancing to "Of Montreal," her favorite band.

Simplicity....

I'm traveling in Arkansas this week so I don't have much new to post. I've also had a rough day! VERY turbulent flight, lost luggage, crappy rental car! All in a days work! Actually, I have my luggage back, I got a good dinner, a glass of wine, and some moments to post. I'm happy now!

I made this card a couple of weeks ago and I really like it's simplicity.

I think I cased it from kwerner. I know the overlapped lettering came from her. When I saw how she used that alphabet set, I had to have it! Look here for an example.

She has also inspired me to use my Stampamajig - don't laugh! If you don't know what that is, it's a tool that allows you to line up your stamps perfectly before stamping. I used to be a lazy stamper and not use it, now I find my self using it on everything. It's so easy and so worth it! It is my new favorite tool and I highly recommend you invest in one. Especially if you use alphabet stamps. I used the aqua painters with my classic stamp pads to color the hippo, the letters, and the grass.

Supplies: Ink: Certainly Celery and Orchid Opulensce (I think), Stampin' Up. Stamps: Jumbo Outline Alphabet and Bundled in Love, Stampin' Up. Ribbon: Certainly Celery Grosgrain, Stampin' Up. Cardstock: Whisper White, Stampin' Up.

Babies and Bellas......

I have baby fever! Not the kind that you are thinking of, but many of my friends are expecting right now and I am having so much fun making gifts for them.

Today was Alicia's shower and I made her this little gift set. It includes a keepsake box, a photo clip, and a stack of Thank You cards. Hi Alicia!!! She told me she reads my blog regularly! YEAH - someone is reading this! Alicia said she made some of the boxes from this post! More YEAH!!!! Someone was inspired! How exciting!

I love making these tins and I think this one is one of my favorites! I hope she likes it.

And now for the Bellas! I LOVE these stamps! I have been coveting them for a very long time and finally broke down and ordered some. I didn't realize they would take so long to get here (they are from a Canadian company), but they were worth the wait. I want to use the Pregabella so bad for Alicia's shower card and she arrived just yesterday! Right on time. Here's the card I made her:

I got 3 Bella stamps in all - Pregabella, Groovybrideabella, and Cosmobella. You can see all the Bellas here. I think I need them all! I first saw them on Amy Rysavy's blog - Prairie Paper & Ink. She is another one of my favorites. She has lots of Bella stamps and lots of great ideas. She also has really good tutorials and advice.

I have a lot of work to do tonight, so no time to post all the supplies. If you want to know where I got something, how I did something, or what I used for something - leave me a comment.

I can't close without posting a very cute picture, OK pictures, of Bean. We had such a beautiful weekend here, I did a Fall photoshoot with her yesterday. We got some good pictures!

She looked so cute! She was having a great time walking around the yard and I was having a crazy time trying to get some good pictures! These were the 3 keepers out of probably 100 pictures - Oh, so worth it though!! You may be seeing the top one on our Christmas cards!

Have a good week, gotta run....

I promise I will try and find some new paper to obsess over soon! I just really like this paper. I have ordered 4 packs of DS paper because of the Stampin' Up special this month so I'll have some new things to play with soon! I also like to make cards like these. I love cards that have a window in the front and the embellishment can be seen on the inside also. They are just hard to capture.

I also really like to use the slit punch on my cards. If you visit Cambria Turnbow's blog you'll see a lot of that - very cute! For some reason I really like things to be fastened. Another wierd thing about me. Keep reading, there'll be more I'm sure. I fold the card like normal and then trim about 3/4" to 1" off the bottom of the front side. Line up the slit puch so that a portion of the front part of the card can be slid in it and puch the back side of the card. That way, you are sure that the front will fit in to the slit you made. It' s not as complicated as I've made it sound.

Here's what it looks like on the inside: I used the 1 3/8" circle punch the make the hole in the front of the card and then punched out another 1 3/8" circle in the Apple Cider paper. I lined up the hole in the paper with the back of the scallop punch and punched out a "frame" of the scallop. I applied that frame around the circle that I puched out on the front of the card. I then punched out another scalloped circle and adhered it to the inside of the card so that it would match up with the one on the cover. Again, I have way over complicated it! Once you start, you'll see.

Here's another one I made with a small square punch:

I like the simplicity of this one. The Sparkle saying is much easier to see on the actual card. The ink appears very light in the photograph.

I used cardstock that I just had lying around. The card base is a linen textured creme color similar to Very Vanilla. The other is a scrap of Really Rust.

When the card is opened, you will see the small square with the round stamp and ebellishment on the inside also.

Supplies: Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Really Rust, Apple Cider DS Paper, Stampin' Up. Ink: Basic Brown, Wild Wasabi, Stampin' Up. Stamp Sets: True Friend, Warm Words, In the Spotlight, Stampin' Up. Ribbon: Apple Green Grosgrain, Stampin' Up and Martha Stewart blue/brown piped nylon, Michael's. Accessories: 1 3/8", 1 1/4", 1/2" Circle Punches, Scallop Circle Punch, Slit Punch, Large Square Metal Edge Tag (center removed), Stampin' Up Green Rhinestone, Making Memories Square Puch, Creative Memories.

Fall Colors......

I'm not a huge fan of this time of year. When the weather turns cold, my lips are instantly chapped, my hands instantly dry, and my hair instantly static ridden. I am definitely a summer person and fall means that summer is so far away! Actually, there are some "Fall Things" I really like - the smell of a fireplace in the air, a thicker bedspread, and of course, the Holidays! I guess I actually juts hate the transition period.

I do love fall colors. Browns, Oranges, Muted Greens. Fall has the best colors. Those colors inspired this card. To color in the stamp, I used blender pens and ink from the lids of the ink pads. (See the colors below.) Again, I used my favorite Designer Series Stampin' Up Paper - Apple Cider.

Supplies: Ink Pads: Basic Brown, Marigold Morning, Really Rust, Pumpkin Pie, True Thyme, and So Saffron, Stampin' Up. Paper: Summer Sun Cardstock (I Think), Apple Cider DS Paper, Stampin' Up. Stamp Set: Basket Full of Fun, Stampin' Up. Ribbon: Tangerine grosgrain, Stampin' Up. Accessories: Paper Piercer, Blender Pens, Stanpin' Up. Orange Eyelets: ?, Scallop Square Punch, Marcy Uchida.

I also completed my laundry room this weekend. I LOVE it!!! This completes a total re-paint of the entire main floor. Thanks to Mau Mau for watching Bean. Check out the before, during, and after pics.

Before: I'm really gonna miss this border! Too bad Tim threw away the matching switch plate - I could have used that for blog candy!!

During: I finally get to hang my vintage washboard - 2 years later! I love the name of the paint color: Longjohn Red. This color used to be in our bedroom in our last house and I loved it so much, it now covers our bedroom in this house and our laundry room. If you like it, it is a Ralph Lauren color and we got it at Home Depot. I must say, we have used RL paint a few times in the past - it really is good paint. The matte finish is my favorite (easily scratched, though). It covers so well and so smoothly. It's worth the price.

After: It's really hard to photograph a laundry room! We still need to get the floors done - they are blue flowered lanolium. Don't worry - I have rugs covering them now!

Next Up: The downstairs bathroom!

OK, one last reason to like Fall - time to catch up on indoor projects!

The Finer Things Club.......

I love "The Office!" I am, however, worried they may have jumped the shark this season. I guess we'll see.

I'm getting a cold! I have plans to paint and redecorate my laundry room this weekend and I'm going to have a cold! We even have a sitter for Syd. I am determined to do it anyway! My vacation is almost over and this was on my list of things to accomplish and it will be done! Especially since I crossed so few of the other things off my list this week! By the way, I really like to use exclamation points if you haven't noticed.

Here's one of the projects I made recently and was saving until the lighting issue was addressed, but I actually really like the lighting in this one - it goes with the personality of the project. This is a card and candle tin gift set. The candle tin is from the Target $ spot. I got quite a few of these a couple of months ago. I wish I had gotten more - they are really fun and easy to decorate and would make really cute Christmas gifts for co-workers, etc. This card also uses my favorite Designer Series Paper and Stamp Set from Stampin Up! These are both in the Holiday Mini so you better hurry and get them. By the way, I am not an SU demonstrator, but I know a great one if you're looking! Check out her blog, she has the best ideas! Thank you Jeni for aiding and abetting my addiction.

Well, here's what I used:

Supplies: Stamp Sets: True Friend, Warm Words, Much Appreciated, Stampin' Up. Pattern Paper: Apple Cider Designer Series, Stampin' Up. Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Stampin' Up; Creme, Unknown. Ink: Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie Classic Stamp Pads, Stampin' Up. Ribbon: Martha Stewart blue/brown nylon piped, Michael's. Accessories : Decorativ Brad, Making Memories; Crystal Stickers, Mark Richards, Oval Puches, Stampin' Up.

A Simple Card.....

OK, I have to figure out how to take good pictures of my cards! The lighting is all wrong. I just can't seem to figure it out. I will, just bear with me! I have some projects I really like, but don't want to post them until I get the lighting issue under control.

If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

I have been in to the "simple" look lately so that is what inspired this card. I know you can't tell from the picture, but I stamped the petals on a seperate piece of whisper white and used a small pop dot to adhere the "friend" circle in the center. The stem and "leaves" are ribbon. Not much to it, but I like it.

Supplies: All from Stampin' Up: Cardstock: Whisper White, Stamp Sets: Pick a Petal, Warm Words, In the Spotlight, Ribbon: Apple Green 1/4" Grosgrain, Stamp Pad: Real Red, Classic.

I hope you had a nice Halloween - we did! Here's a picture of us: