PHEWWW!!!

I said I was gonna post all my awards I had received, and by golly, I am gonna do it! Of course, I had no idea there were this many!! I may have missed someone, PLEASE don't take it personally, I just went through my last two months worth of posts looking for comments telling me that they gave me an award and my head is spinning!! This first award I received from Pam(yorkiemom), andTerry(TERRORE3) . Thanks so much ladies, I totally appreciate it!!




The second award that I received came from Laurel. Her blog is gorgeous and so is her work!! Thanks so much Laurel!!









I have received this award from a few different people. Melissa Bove, Monika(buszy), Carolina(craftycaro), and Lee(luvlee). They all gave it to me over a MONTH ago, but I am JUST now getting it posted...what can I say...I'm sorry!! Since it has been forever, I am not going to nominate anyone, I just wanted them to know that I totally appreciate them thinking of me and giving me this award, sorry it took so long to post it!! Shameful!
I also received the Brilliante Award(already in my sidebar) from my pal Debbie over at Debbies Doodles and my pal Linsey(scraperlinsey). She is so super sweet and talented!! Since it is already over there, I will spare you the second picture!! Thanks Debbie, I think you are pretty Brilliante yourself!!
Okay, so by now you probably have picked up that I haven't posted rules or anything like that, and I know that isn't the way you are supposed to play, but do you realize how many people I would have to nominate to pass all these on???CRAZY!!! So, I just wanted to let them ALL know, that I appreciate the awards and I send them out to anyone reading my blog...I do this all for you(maybe a little for me, but definitely for you all too!!)!!

Some Raks!!

Here are some fabulous RAK's I received from some of my blogging friends!! The first one is from my BFF Jodi(kharmagirl). This is the card that she made for me when I was the featured stamper. It looks great in the picture, but trust me, in real life, this thing is GORGEOUS!! I love that MFT set and the button and flowers are amazing!! Thanks Jodi, you know I luv ya!!

This next card is from my pal Silke Ledlow(sparklegirl). I met Silke through SCS. She does the challenges religiously like I do, and after awhile, it is only natural to get to know the person a little. I am a huge fan of hers and I love everything that she does, EVERYTHING!! This is the card she made for me when I was featured stamper and it ROCKS!! She filled the package full of bling too, what's not to love!! Thanks so much Silke, I LOVE it!!

My final card comes from my pal Carolina(craftycaro). She has been so good to me since I met her through SCS. Not only has she showered me with gifts, cards, and support, she is also showering my nephew Jared with love too!! This card came in the mail with the cutest Halloween bib for him. Thanks Carolina, both the card and bib, and your friendship mean so much to me!!

Celebrating MFT Day!!

First of all, I wanted to pass along this note from MFT's fearless, and extremely AWESOME leader, Kim.

"As many of you know, Cammie introduced her Whimsical Autumn set through Gina K. Designs earlier this month, and is donating all her proceeds to an Alzheimer’s charity in memory of the Grandmother she lost to this disease a few months back. My Father suffered from Dementia, of which Alzheimer’s is a form, during the last few years of his life. It was truly painful to watch him morph into someone so completely different and unreachable. I really have empathy for those whose loved ones are afflicted, it is so overwhelming.Cammie is having a HUGE blog candy extravaganza in honor of National Alzheimer’s Day on Sept 21st. Be sure to check it out!I thought I’d like to help raise some funds as well in support of the cause, so what I’ve decided to do is two-fold: 1) Starting tomorrow, I am offering a 10% discount on ALL stamps on the site. Use the coupon code Cammie at checkout to receive 10% off all the stamps in your shopping cart. (It won’t discount your other merchandise, just stamps.) The coupon code will run from Wednesday, Sept 17th to Sunday, Sept 21st. 2) I will donate 10% of ALL proceeds (including money spent on other items on the site) to the National Alzheimer’s Association. FYI - The discount applies only to retail orders…"

With that out of the way, Today is the 20th of the month, so that makes it "Celebrating My Favorite Things Day". Why you ask, well, since the release is the first Wednesday of the month, by the 20th all your new stamps should be in your hot little hands and ready to get inky!! I used this weeks MFT sketch challenge for my card. I love these little bath tub images from MFT, they are just too cute!! This one is one of my favorites called Be Calm....don't we all need a little "calm" in our lives?? I think so!! I colored my image with my SU markers and the shower head and pipe with a silver glitter pen. I then layered it with Pale Plum. The larger layer is Perfect Plum and was cut out using my square nestabilities. It was then run through my Cuttlebug with the Swiss dots folder. The DP is from the SU retired paper pack Enchante. I did all my normal "embellishing" and it was done!! I have a ton of stamping to do, and I actually have some ideas to work with, wish me luck!!

stamps-Be Calm

paper-Pale Plum, Perfect Plum. Whisper White, and Enchate DSP

ink-Brilliance Black

tools-silver brads, spiral clips, white taffeta, Su markers, silver pen, swiss dots folder, Cuttlebug, Prima sprites, square nestabilities

A tag...the first of many...

So, I am totally behind on posting all the tags that I have received. Tomorrow, besides actually stamping, it is my goal to get all of them done, but for now, I will do the most recent. Why you ask...well, it is from my BFF Jodi, and when I said that I would TRY to get them answered, she sent a message back that wasn't very nice, or patient!!LOL!! The first part I won't repeat, but the last said..."answer the questions Rone...."!! To that I say, YES MAAMMM!!! LOL!! (ETA Jodi is not a mean person, so don't think she is!!! She was totally joking!!)
So this is how it goes!!
1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So here goes!!
1. I own four umbrellas but refuse to use them. They sound good to me in theory, but to actually use them, too much work!
2. I recently went from no job(yayy) to working 6 days a week. Now I know what you are thinking, cuddling a 3 month old all week long isn't work in the four letter word sense, but work none the less!
3. I own at least 50 stamps that have never since a drop of ink...shameful!
4. I treat my dog Sophie as if she was my kid...my dh and I even call ourselves Mommy and Daddy. Sick right??!!
5. I love to read but can not read the same book twice. However, if I like a movie, I can watch it 1000 times and never get bored by it.
6. I am addicted to brads and spiral clips, which I am about to run out of and couldn't be more sad...Where oh where did I buy those things???
7. I cry, a lot...I mean a WHOLE lot....my poor DH, sometimes he just looks at me confused because he has no idea why or what to say. It is never a sad cry, I just feel for people, more than I would think is normal. I hear a situation and imagine if it were happening to me, and I can cry buckets.

Okay, that is enough random blah blah blah from me. Here is my list of bloggers I want to pass this on to. Yep you guessed it...all you pretties out there, STAND UP and answer the questions!!LOL!!
Christie Ortman
Julie Masse
Charmaine Ikach
Jana Weaver
Jillian Winters
Danielle Lounds
Jackie Rakoski
Joni Stringfield
Carolina Buchting-Prettie Guest Designer
Jackie Pedro- Prettie Guest Designer
Donna Baker-Prettie Guest Designer
Kirsten Dubosque- Prettie Guest Designer
Colleen Harshaw-Prettie Pages Guest Designer

And yes, you guessed again, I just copy and pasted their blog links from my sidebar.....it is after 11 people, to much work to do it individually!! Honestly though, I love my Pretties, and I really want to know them better, so I would have picked them anyway!!

Butterfly Hello

I have been super busy this week, so I decided to try to combine a couple of challenges today. I struggled with the first card that I made, so I am totally not going to show that one yet...I just don't know what to do with it at this point, but I am NOT throwing it away, I worked WAY to long on it!! So tonight, when I finally gave up and decided that I was going to go to bed, I got inspired to make a card finally, figures right? So, I used the sketch from this Wednesday and today's Ways to Use it challenge, to use a silhouette stamp. The stamps used on this are from my pal Jessica's new company, There She Goes. I stamped the Butterfly twice with Sage Shadow for the solid part and then Chocolate Chip for the detail. I cut them out and popped them up on a panel where I have stamped the leafy vine silhouette stamp, pierced the edges and sponged them with Chocolate Chip ink. The layers are the reverse side of the DP(couldn't find matching colors) and Chocolate Chip. I added some spiral clips with chocolate taffeta and chocolate gingham. The background is Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, and the DP is from Crate Paper and is part of the Seaweed collection. I pierced and sponged the edges, and since I can't make a card without brads, I added a bunch!!

Well, that is it for me now! HOPEFULLY, I will be back tomorrow with some more inspiration!! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!!

Prettie Wednesday- ATC

Two weeks ago, Charmaine challenged the Prettie Girls to make an ATC. I gotta say, I haven't made one of these in years, and I honestly couldn't remember what size they were supposed to be...I even had to look it up!! How great is that!! I used a Tangerine Tango base and layered it with Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, and some Chatterbox DP. I used my SU punches to punch out my turtle, which was colored with my blender pen and ink pad as well as my SU markers. The sentiment is from the SU Love and Happiness rub ons. I added some white brads, some tangerine gingham ribbon and it was done. Oh ya, I did add some crystal effects to the turtle shell to make it shiny!!

Be sure to blurf around and check out what the other prettie girls have been up to!! Since it is my turn to challenge the other girls, I would like to do an inspiration challenge, but the catch is that you get to chose what you are inspired by. Find a picture, or whatever and be sure to link it to your post. I can't wait to see what everyone finds!!

That is it for me now!! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!!

Julie Masse
Charmaine Ikach
Jana Weaver
Danielle Lounds
Jodi Collins
Jackie Rakoski
Joni Stringfield
Carolina Buchting

Cuddle Me Meets Bella Rose

I don't know about you all, but I LOVE the new paper from SU!! All of the new DP's are on my "want" list, including stocking up on this yummy Bella Rose DSP(just in case they try to take it away). My card features the Paper Pretties stamp, Cuddle Me. She is by far my favorite of my Sophias, something about her cuddling that little bear is just so cute! I paper pieced her dress and hair bow and colored the rest of her with my SU markers. I cut her, and my Kiwi Kiss and Riding Hood Red layers with my Cuttlebug and Nestabilities. I added all my normal stuff, you know, lots of ribbon, brads and spiral clips(oh my...hehe), and of course don't forget the piercing and embossing with my swiss dots folder. Sorry for the short post, I am up way past my bed time, and I have to get up earlier than normal to go take care of my nephew at his house. Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!!

Some More Big News!!!

So, about a month ago I received an email from none other than SweetMissDaisy herself asking little ol me if I would want to be a guest designer for her for the next two months....good thing I wasn't home alone or I may have died right where I sat all alone!!! HOLY COW!!! I can't even begin to tell you what a HUGE fan of her stamps that I am, and of Anna Wight herself.






















She takes the most amazing photos and illustrates some of the cutest stamps I have ever seen. It is an honor and a pleasure to work with her for these next couple of months...I just hope someone doesn't wake me up from this dream!!

Three sets were released today on the Whipper Snapper website. My card was made using the new Give Thanks set. I stamped my tree with Chocolate Chip craft ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder. I colored the leaves in with my SU markers and then layered it with Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke, and Chocolate Chip. The DP is from the SU Bella Rose Pack. The buttons are from SU, except for the brown one. It is actually a clear button with a piece of Bella Rose DP adhered to it, and then embossed to make it look glossy. I added a bunch of different ribbons, piercing, and brads.

Be sure to check out what my fellow guest designers have created, along with Anna herself!!

The Who's Who of September/October Featured Designers:

Sherry Cheever (BadSherry)
Blog: http://sherrycheever.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/badsherry

Denise Marzec (peanutbee)
Blog: http://thepaperlandscaper.blogspot.com/
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/peanutbee

Paula Williamson (paulatracy)
Blog: http://paulatracy66.typepad.com/paper_possibilities
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/paulatracy

Sharon Harnist (StamperSharon)
Blog: http://paperfections.typepad.com/paperfections
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/stampersharon

Anna Wight
Blog: http://sweetmissdaisy.typepad.com/
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/sweetmissdaisy

Did you see that list, talk about INTIMIDATING!! WOW, am I surrounded by some talent or what!!
Well, I am off to bed, thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!!

Some Big News!!

So, the other day I get this private message over on SCS, and it is from Kim, the MFT lady. She says she has a question about a card that I had made, and wanted to know if she could call me. DUUUHHH, of COURSE you can!! So, naive little me, who has been DESPERATELY trying to get My Favorite Things to notice me and make me a design team member, REALLY thought that she just wanted to know something about my card. That wasn't why she called, she called to invite me to be a design team member- CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!! I am so super excited, and having met a lot of the MFT girls when I went to the swap in Arlington Texas back in May, I am so honored to be a part of such a wonderful and fun group!! So with all that said...an announcement....

Wanna get cozy with the MFT crew? Want excuses to buy more stamps and play with the ones you have? We are changing up our forum to make it tons of fun for the MFT lover in you! On Sept. 15th, we unveil our MFThemed Forum Days!

Play along with Who’s That Girl? Monday
Find out more about MFT crew and fans on Thread Starter Tuesday
Chat it up MFT style on What's Up Wednesday nights at 9pm(est)
Get a little sketchy on Thursday
Hum a little Oldie PLUS Goodie on Friday

What’s in for you? We thought you’d ask! So we decided to offer a $5 store gift certificate to one lucky winner each day! And on top of all that goodness, the daily winners will be thrown into a monthly drawing for a $25 gift certificate! Now that’s a reason to celebrate, don’t you think?

Keep your eyes peeled and be ready to party on Sept 15th. Wanna know a little secret to get you started? You’ll need Rain or Shine for the very first challenge, so from now through Sept 15th, it’s 20% off, just to get you in the mood!

On Friday, you'll be playing with Hearts Galore, which is already on special as it's being retired. Grab it up at $12.75 while supplies last!

Come play along with My Favorite Things at www.mftstamps.com or our SCS Member Company Forum at http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=164.


So, for my first card as an official MFT design team member, I decided to play along with the first challenge. It is the Who's That Girl challenge, and the challenge was to use the Rain or Shine set along with some bling!! So, I stamped my main image from that set with Black Stazon on watercolor paper. I then colored it with my SU markers. The raincoat, dogs coat, and boots were paper pieced with some Apricot Appeal DP. The image was layered with Celery and Apricot layers cut out with my Nesties. I added some white brads with some sparkle added to them to each corner of the image and of the main card. The panel under the main image is some more AA DP with some glitter dots added to it. I added some spiral clips with ribbon to it too. The smaller circle panel is the separate boot stamp in that set, with the boots paper pieced and the spots colored with my white gel pen then my SU markers. I embossed my white layer with my Swiss Dots folder and added my sentiment. After it was all done, I basically spread some icicle stickles all over the place to make it sparkle!! This card is also for the Featured Stamper challenge on SCS. The Featured Stamper was Liz(lazy lizard) and she is so super sweet. I chose this card as my inspiration, but added some layers and change the images and colors!! That is it for me now, thanks for stopping by and have a great day!!

A Bella SFYTT

Hello everyone, hope where ever you are, you and all your loved ones are safe!! Last night, my DH and I went to dinner together, and there getting gas at the three gas stations that surrounded the restaurant we were eating at, were 15 trucks from a power company out of Ohio. I assume they were on their way to help out in Texas, and I gotta tell you, it made my heart happy to see them headed out to help with the terrible situation left after Hurricane Ike ravaged the gulf coast of Texas. Here in Illinois, we are experiencing the leftover effects of Ike and even lost power for a few hours this morning. My mom sent me a picture text showing me the tree that just barely missed her house too. My DH got a little whiny about the loss of power till I pointed out how wrong he was and how it could be SO much worse. He quickly shut up!! So anyway, here is my card for Jen del Muro's Sketch For You To Try. This weeks sketch was also part of a challenge being sponsored by Stamping Bella. All you had to do is make your card using a Bella image to be entered into the drawing to win a $15 GC to the Bella store..yay!! I used this super cute Wreathabella image(I guess I was inspired by their holiday cards...Christmas is coming soon...yikes). She was colored with my SU markers. I added some liquid applique to the hat and shoes to make them poufy. The bow on the wreath was stamped twice, colored and then one was cut out to give the bow some dimension. The DP is by Basic Grey and is part of the Fruitcake line. I paired the paper with Cranberry Crisp and Always Artichoke. The buttons are from SU, and I added some silver twine to them. I pierced around the edge of the different squares and added some silver brads to the corners. The sentiment is from the SU set Holidays and Wishes.

Well, that is all for me for now, I am off to stamp now that the power is back on!!

stamps-Wreathabella and SU Holidays and Wishes

paper- Cranberry Crisp, Always Artichoke, White, and Basic Grey Figgy Pudding

ink- Black Stazon

tools- silver brads, SU markers, silver twine, buttons