Inchies, Inchies Everywhere!!

Inchies are apparently a hot new thing in Stamping, but up until today, I had never done a card using one. Since I don’t technically own inchies(or for that matter know what they are), I improvised for today’s ways to use it challenge, and made my own 1x1in squares. I stamped my image from Oh, So Lovely in Black Stazon and used my aqua painter to add some Soft Sky to the flowers and Wild Wasabi to the stems. I then mounted them on black and popped them up on a panel of Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi and Black. The base of the card uses the same colors and the DP is from the DCWV All Dressed Up stack. I swear I am addicted to DCWV(probably because around here that is about the only thing I can get my hands on). The brads at the bottom are pewter, and the rub on at the top is from the Love and Happiness rubons that SU had as a Sellabration set. That’s all for now, I have more baby stuff to show, but I will take a picture later when it is all done. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!!
Stamps-Oh, So Lovely
Paper-Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White, Basic Black, and DCWV
Ink- Black Stazon, Wild Wasabi, and Soft Sky
Tools-pewter brads, black organdy, aqua painter, silver cord, and rub ons

Cuteness Alert!!

Okay, I am warning you ahead of time, that I am SUPER PROUD of what I am about to share with you!! I usually don't gush over my own work, but seriously, this may be the cutest thing I ever made in my life!! As you all know, my sister is having a miracle baby due in July, and this weekend is her shower. For those of you not familiar with the story, my older sister Mary was told she would not be able to get pregnant because her tubes were 100% blocked. To make a long story short, she lost a bunch of weight, got pregnant on her own, and didn't know it until she felt him move!!(if you wanna read the whole story, go to this post). Well, while blurfing the other day, I stumbled upon this super cute creation by my pal Susan aka susiestampalot(who just won the My Favorite Things guest designer spot-btw)and I had to make one for my sister's shower. It is a diaper cake, how stinkin cute is that!! Susan quickly emailed me and gave me some pointers, but is working on getting a tutorial together to share on her blog. She knew I needed it soon, so she talked me through how she put hers together and boy was she a HUGE help!! Since I got the idea from her, and I wasn't smart enough to take pictures while making it, I am not going to go into detail, but if you have any questions before she gets her tutorial done, I will be happy to answer any questions you may have, just send me an email or leave a comment!! So after the "cake" was assembled, I wrapped bands of DP(by Imagine That) around the middle of each layer. I got my DP for this project at Wal-mart in the scrapbooking section(if you can call it that). It was a whole pack of paper in different size pads, some buttons, brads and some ribbon. The colors were perfect for a boy, and I loved the fun prints. I punched a TON of stars out of it and some coordinating SU card stock and placed them all over. Some of the stars have brads through the center with some ribbon attached, some just the brad, and some just the stars, just whatever you like. I also attached buttons with glue dots all around the paper strips. The letters are some die cuts I picked up a long time ago by EK Success, and are held together by silver brads with some ribbon tails at the top and bottom. I attached some of the small stars to each letter to give it some personality. The ruffle around the bottom is actually the stuff you buy on a spool to finish quilts, so it is already sewn together and ready to go(cool huh). The top is two different curly ribbons you buy at Wal-mart(or where ever you get yours at) twisted together. I thought they needed a little something, so I attached some stars with brads to the ribbon curls(something I need to remember in the future because it is super cute). I really tried to make mine as different from Susan's as possible, but I loved hers so much, that there are a lot of similarities. I loved how she had the name trailing down the side of hers, the paper bands, and the buttons, so I kept them. I want to thanks Susan so much for helping me out with this and allowing me to CASE her totally cute creation for my sister's special day. What do you think?? I WARNED you didn't I!! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!!

Prettie Wednesday and a Sale!!

Well, here I am with my second(technically third) post for today! Two weeks ago our Prettie Mama, Christie, challengedall the Prettie Girls to use acetate on a card. Unfortunately for me, I am a terrible procrastinator, so this card is on it’s way Jillian, but if you come here first, SURPRISE!!(By the way, my watermark and I got into a fight, obviously it won, and is GINORMOUS!! Since I already sent out the card, there really isn't anything I can do, so here it is in all it GINORMOUS glory!!LOL) I decided to make a acetate card(because acetate gives me a mental block and that is all I could think of). This is only the second time that I have made one of these, and I still don’t think I know what I am doing, but hey, I tried!! I stamped Rainy Day Sophia twice, once on Whisper White and once on my DCWV Nana’s Nursery Baby Girl stack. I cut out the dress and paper pieced it and then colored the rest of Sophia with my SU markers and aqua painter. I added some ribbon, tons of brads, some more yummy dp and it was done! This week Charmainehas challenged us to make a book mark(what they don’t know is that I still haven’t made my inspiration card for Jules’ challengefrom last week-shhhh!!). Be sure to blurf around to the other Prettie Girls blogs(in my sidebar) to see what they have come up with for this challenge, and if you played along, leave us a link so we can check our your work!! Also, as if she didn’t already have enough to do, Jules’ posted our first ever product review over on the PP site. Each month she will do a review of different things sold in the Pretties store and for a few days after the review whatever item she reviewed is on SALE!! That’s right, I said SALE(so what are you still doing here???)!! So be sure to pop on over to the Paper Pretties website, get registered if you aren’t already, and check out what Jules has in the spotlight this month. Here’s a hint, I showed it earlier this week in this post!!!
Stamps-Rainy Day Friend
Paper-Pretty in Pink, Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery, Whisper White and DCWV
Ink- Black Stazon
Tools-brads, Flirty ribbon, taffeta, markers, aquapainter

One Kind Sketch

Well, we had our first prenatal class last night! We were the only girl/girl team, which was a little awkward, but fine. The beginning of the class started with a game where they had different things used in childbirth laid out on the table and you had to write down what you thought they were. Well, we all stunk at it, but Mary and I knew more than everyone else. Unfortunately, due to the fact that our mom is a nurse, Mary works for the hospital, and I spent a ton of time on the OB ward with my old boss(the one I was a nanny for was an OB), we were disqualified!! I tried not to throw too big a stink, but really, how unfair!! LOL!! Anyway, on the way home I got to drive through another storm, nothing compared to the one in Arkansas, but a storm none the less. Trust me when I say I am seriously thinking about not driving anymore! As I saw the lightning crash around me all I could think to myself was- man, you’re an idiot!! LOL
Enough blabber, on to my card!! This card is for the sketch challengeover on SCS. It was guest hosted this week by Amy, and she came up with a terrific sketch. Since I saw it last night before I went to be, I got to dream about it all night long , and still had nothing! My One Of A Kind set that I just had to have, has been terribly neglected since I got it, so I decide to give it a go! I stamped the flower three times and cut it out in layers after water coloring it with my markers and aqua painter. I then punched out a piece of Berry Bliss DSP and made my build a brad and stuck it through the whole thing. I heavily sponged the edges on this card, and then in a last ditch effort to make this the heaviest card ever made, I threw a ton of hardware on it!! You know how I love to embellish!! This is just a warning, but hold on tight, I have at least two more posts today!! YAYY!! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a great day!!
Stamps- One of Kind
Paper-Pretty in pink, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, and Berry Bliss DSP
Ink- Black Stazon and Close to Cocoa
Tools- build a brads, pewter hardware, markers, aqua painter, pink taffeta, cocoa grosgrain

Great Swaps Girls Featured Swapper

This weeks featured swapper for the Great Swaps Girls blog is Lori Tecler. Our featured swapper works almost exactly the same as the SCS featured stamper, except that we chose only people that are members of the group to shine the spotlight on. I chose Lori this week not only for her fabulous gallery, but also for her fabulous blog. I chose this card of hers to CASE. I changed the colors, added layers, and changed the images. I can't wait to share some of the other stuff I have been working on with you all!! Be prepared, there could be a FEW posts tomorrow(after I get some sleep)!! Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to stop by the GSG blog!! Our challenges are open to anyone who wants to play!!

stamps- Garden Whimsy

ink- Purely Pomegranate

tools-baubbles, ribbon, nestabilities

paper-Purely Pomegranate, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White and Prints Pack

Rainy Tuesday

Today has been super dreary around here, but good news, I got dsl today!!! YAYYY! What the heck was I waiting for?? Anyway, this is my card for today's color challenge! The challenge was to use Ruby Red, Pumpkin Pie, and Soft Sky. This is an awesome color combo, and I was happy because I finally got to use my Rainy Day Sophia stamp set from Paper Pretties. Be sure to check out the Paper Pretties website to join our Stamp Of The Month club, it is super fabulous!! I paper pieced her dress using some of the Bali Breeze paper and then colored the rest of her in with my SU markers and aquapainter. I am in a hurry(got terribly distracted with my sister's decorations for her shower), so I will let you figure the rest out(not that it is hard)!! Thanks for stopping by, and wish me luck! Tonight is my first prenatal class with my sister. Her husband is too squeamish to be in the delivery room, so guess who gets to be there....ME!!! Have a great day!!
stamps-Rainy Day Friends
paper-Ruby Red, Soft Sky, Pumpkin Pie, and Whisper White, and Bali Breeze DP
ink-Soft Sky and Black Stazon
tools-brads, pumpkin pie ribbon, swiss dots folder, SU markers, aquapainter,

Trust Me, She's Worth It!!

I really do try NOT to do three posts in one day, but if I don't post this soon, I will completely forget again, and she is too good to forget!! Have you been to the Great Swaps Girls blog yet, if not, you totally should!! We host a challenge and a featured swapper each week that we invite ANYONE to play along in , and will occasionally post pictures from our group swaps that we do! This past weeks featured swapper was Denise Hinton, aka geekgirl415, she is a SUPER talented stamper, and creates some of the most gorgeous blog banners I have ever seen. Right now, I have put a bug in her ear that I NEED one, and I am just waiting for her reply(hint, hint). I love her clean style and appealing layouts as well as her amazing use of color. While looking for DP for another project, I stumbled upon this gorgeous piece from the DCWV All Dressed Up stack. When I saw this card by Denise, I knew it would be the perfect card to showcase this yummy pattern. The only stamping on this is the sentiment at the bottom and it is from the Papertrey Ink Birthday Basics set. It is one of the best birthday sets I have ever owned with tons of sentiments and different style of happy birthday stamps. Other than that, this card is pretty straight forward!! Thanks for stopping by yet again, and I hope you have a fabulous day!!

stamps-Papertrey Ink- Birthday Basics

paper- Pretty in Pink, Basic Black, Whisper White and DCWV All Dressed Up

ink-White Stazon

tools-Martha Stewart edge punch, black prima, white Heidi Grace glitter flower, and pink Imaginese glitter flower, white brad by American Crafts

MOJO Monday

It has been forever since I participated in a Mojo Monday sketch. I always love the sketches, but forget to play. Honestly though, with the number of challenges that are out there, it is hard to remember them all! I needed a birthday card(about a week ago, but who's counting) so I decided to use Julee's challenge as well as the technique lover's challenge which was to first emboss an image and then watercolor it in. I chose to use the rhinoceros from the SU set Zoofari. I embossed it with black ep and then colored it in with my SU markers. I then sponged around the edges to create the sky and grass. I love Pretty in Pink and Wasabi together and quite frankly, I am going to be super sad to see it go. I have a plan this year though, every order I place from now until the end of the current SU catalog will have a package of each of the in colors included. Some of the people that went on the cruise for SU have posted the new colors and I have to be honest when I say that I hope they are better in person because if they are taking away my Wasabi, they better have a FANTASTIC alternative or I just don't see how it could be worth it. Am I alone here?? Anyway, the rest of the card is pretty easy to figure out-lots of ribbon, lots of brads, some punched flowers and piercing and Viola', it's a card!! I am still feeling crappy, but I have so much to do that every time I lay down my mind starts racing. I have a meeting in 45minutes and then I plan on resting(ya right). Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful day!!
stamps-Zoofari, Birthday Banter
paper-Wild Wasabi, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, and Pretty in Pink DSP
ink-Black Stazon, Wild Wasabi, Bashful Blue, and Versamark
tools-silver brads, flower punch, wasabi ribbon, white taffeta, pink gingham, SU markers, black ep, sponge, paper piercer, white gel pen

MFT Monday Sketch

Hello everyone, I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and are having a wonderful Monday!! Everything for me was fine til about an hour ago, and now I am not so sure I am gonna make it through today without getting sick. Man my head hurts!! I just got a couple of cards finished, and before I head off to bed, I wanted to share it with you. This card was made using the MFT Monday sketch posted on the My Favorite Things member forum on SCS. Cindy Haffner is so super talented and is always coming up with awesome sketches for us all to play with(plus her samples make you drool they are so amazing!!)! My card was made using the newly released Friend's Furever set by MFT. If you haven't got it yet, you should, it is too cute!! When I first saw this set, I thought to myself, I wish this was a girl because I have so many nieces, but then I saw where some of the design team members had simply added a pony tail to the boy and made their own girl-GENIUS!! My DP is from the Nana's Nursery Baby Boy stack and has some of the yummiest paper ever!! This is pretty basic, but the boy was colored with my SU markers and I sponged in the sky and the ground. The hardware is from my SU stylized silver hardware(gosh I hope they put that in the new catalog, and some black, we NEED BLACK!!). I am gonna go lay down for a few minutes and see if I can get the room to quit spinning, wish me luck!! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!!

stamps-Friends Furever

ink-Black stazon, Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi

paper-DCWV Nana's Nursery, Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi, and Very Vanilla

tools-SU markers, stylized hardware, silver brads, wasabi ribbon, aquapainter, sponge

Featured Stamper Sunday

Today's Featured Stamper over on Splitcoast Stampers is Jennifer 0f Jennifer's Sweet Designs. She is a super sweet person and awesomely talented stamper. She always leaves the sweetest little comments for me on my cards and I sooo appreciate them! Unbelievably, I still needed a couple of Mother's Day cards, so I decided to case two cards of Jennifer's. I started with this one and as per the rules, I had to change a few things on it. Since this card is for my MIL, I decided to change the colors to Perfect Plum and Pale Plum. Then I stamped my flower from Fabulous Flowers four times, twice in Pale Plum and twice in Perfect Plum. To give the flower some depth, I cut out four different layers of the flower and popped each layer up. On the top layer, I added three silver brads. I left off the punched flowers and the sentiment circle at the bottom because I couldn't get them to work, so I added a piece of purple organdy and stamped the sentiment directly on the lower panel. Sadly, I still haven't replaced my corner rounder(I broke it-boohoo), so I had to use my Martha Stewart punch to create the scallops along the panel. The top flower was replaced with three silver brads.
stamps-Fabulous Flowers and All Holidays
paper- Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Pearlized White
ink-Pale Plum and Perfect Plum craft ink and Perfect Plum classic ink
tools-silver brads, purple organdy, clear ep, edge punch,
My second card( and by FAR my favorite) was made using the SU set Bloomin Beautiful and was based on this card here. I colored the flowers with my markers and blended them with my aquapainter. The flowers were actually stamped twice, once on the oval for the stems, and the again on another piece of watercolor paper for me to color and pop up. I cut out the ovals with my nestabilities and added a sentiment to the bottom. The changes I made from Jennifer's card were the colors, added popped flowers, I changed the bow and wrapped it around, and added hardware to the sentiment and instead of dew drops, I put brads in the top corner. At first, I didn't have the green layer, but I thought it needed some more color so I added it and I am so happy I did!! Well, that is all for me for now(unless I get to stamp some more)! Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there who are mothers, and for those of you that struggle every day to become a mother, don't give up hope! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
stamps-Bloomin Beautiful and All Holidays
paper- Rose Red, Wild Wasabi, Very Vanilla, Rose Red DSP, and Watercolor paper
ink-Black Stazon
tools-small oval punch, hardware, silver brads, oval nestabilities, cuttlebug, markers, aquapainter, cream organdy