Blessings on Paper

Special Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 01:03:00 +0000

H-e-l-l-l-l-o out there!!! {And if you're reading this, I realize it's a little belated...but better late than not at all is my motto...so I'm wishing you a very happy 2011 and hope it's off to a great start!}

Soooo...how 'bout a card? Here's the one I made for my mom's birthday coming up in a few days (I asked her not to peek -lol):

{I still haven't learned how to take good pics with my new camera, so until that happens, I hope you can bear with me.}

I love the soft colors of these older Porcelain papers, and this week's MojoMonday sketch was a really fun one to work with. Though you can't see from my poor photography skills, I clear embossed the beautiful Verve sentiment, as well as the frame around it --and it seemed to me that the frame image {from Waltzingmouse Stamps} was made to perfectly coordinate with the sweet polka dot roses on the paper. ;) With the glitter I added to the flower petals, the shine of the pearls and the embossed images, this card really shimmers {in real life}. Hope she'll like it.

As always, thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Supplies that were given some love:

Cardstock: Cryogen White (Arjo-Wiggins), Baby Pink, Olive (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: Porcelain 6x6 collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps: Vintage Circles Small (Waltzingmouse Stamps), Birthday Surprise (Verve)

Ink: Baby Pink (CTMH), Versafine Vintage Sepia (Tsukineko)

Other: Fancy Tags, Classic Circles Small, Lacey Circles, Labels One (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug (Provo Craft), Versamark (Tsukineko), clear embossing powder, heat tool, sponge (CTMH), crochet trim (Wright's), flowers (Prima), half pearls (BasicGrey and Joy! Crafts), Glamour Dust (DecoArt), Crafter's Pick "The Ultimate" adhesive (API), glue pen, sewing machine, thread, foam mounting tape

you {can} make a difference

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 01:16:00 +0000

Have you ever been made aware of something that completely took you by surprise and hit you so hard that you knew you'd never be able to go on without overwhelming guilt and regret if you didn't share what you learned? I have, though not that many times. In fact, I think I could count them on one hand.

Well, actually I haven't been quite as vocal about this discovery as I probably should've been, but this post is about to change all that. And I hope you'll stay with me here, even though there's not a card involved. In fact, no stamping or any other sort of crafty bidness whatsoever. I don't often hi-jack my own blog for personal concerns, but in this case, I feel it's really important...and hopefully of great interest to you too...not to mention my circle of influence is rather small, even with this blog. ;)

Okay, so if you're still with me, I'm guessin' you're wondering what my life-altering discovery was. And I'm gonna tell ya...it's just been really difficult to figure out how to go about it. I had some thoughts the other night {when I was supposed to have been sleeping}, but because I didn't get up and put them to paper, they kinda got lost and I'm starting back at square one and hope to convey this without boring you to tears. Especially since most of you know how darn wordy I can be at times. lol But seriously, I do hope you'll hang in there with me...there is an important message here for everyone.

Anyway, I'm a mom to five children, two of whom are still under our roof. Becoming a parent and raising my children has got to be one of the greatest joys of my life, and if you have children, you likely feel much the same. I enjoy being able to take them to church to learn about their God; I love building memories with them sharing the 'great outdoors' experiences with them as our family goes camping; I get a tremendous feeling of satisfaction when I hear happiness or excitement in their voice when they master a particularly difficult assignment or discover something new during our home schooling days; I am thankful I can direct them away from certain clothing styles, foods, movies, or music that I feel would be inappropriate for them as they're still young and impressionable {explaining my reasoning to them and providing them with an appropriate alternative as well}. There are so many interactions that take place within our family on a daily basis that require constant diligence, unending devotion, and thoughtful responses...ones, I believe, only a loving parent can, and should, provide.

And all parents, or folks who know parents, know that raising children is not an easy task. There are many struggles along the way, and the two sides don't always see eye to eye. But, as a parent, we do our best to continue to provide loving support and guide them safely through to maturity and adulthood.

But what if...

*your child could contact a case worker assigned to your family to complain about your decision to not let her attend a social function at school {never mind that your decision was a disciplinary action in consequence to your child's behavior} in order to have your decision overridden...and it was!

*you, your spouse, and your 6-year old child were onboard a plane, waiting for the flight to be given clearance to depart the airport runway, when government authorities stormed on, took your child from you and a year-and-a-half later you still had not regained custody --all because you were planning to move to another country in order to have the freedom to home school your child!

*your family has some personal reason/s why you don't vaccinate your child...whether all across the board or just some in particular...and even though you've signed the school district's waiver to that effect, your child is forced, against your stated beliefs {which were supposedly permitted} and the concerned pleas of your child's, and without your knowledge!, to be vaccinated with all the other children lined up for the school nurse on vaccination day.

*your young-adult child {with a sizeable three-figure trust fund sitting in the bank} didn't agree with your idea that he should obtain a job in order to support himself, live on his own, and become a productive citizen, so he contacted the governing authorities to complain --and then you were ordered to pay him nearly $1,000/mo in order to help subsidize his "lack of income"!

There are many more examples I could find to give you, but just know that those I have given you are very real. Unimaginable scenarios such as these, and others, are happening all over the world, including instances right here in the good ol' U.S. of A....right now! MANY parents have lost the freedom to raise their children as they see fit and they are now treated as mere caregivers whose decisions can easily be overridden by the government...all in the name of what's in the best interest of the child. I had never heard of such a thing, and once I had, I almost wished I hadn't. I mean, it's truly frightening to think this could very easily happen to me...or you...or to your children...or your children's children. Because even if you're not a parent, or not a parent yet, this will affect your life, if only indirectly. I think you can get the picture though. And once this practice of undermining the value of the family is established here, there's no undoing it. In fact, I'm fairly certain the United States is the only country not adhering to this government-instituted nanny system {Somalia was also against it, but I think they may have signed on within the last several months}.

What I'm referring to is known as the UNCRC {The United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child}. I had never heard of it until about a year ago, and I only stumbled onto it by reading an email from the HSLDA {Home Schooling Legal Defense Association}, a home schooling advocacy group for families all over the world...because I believe the USA is the only country who has NOT signed on. Yet. I'm not surprised that most people have never even heard of the UNCRC, what it means if a country ratifies it, or that there are people within our country's government who have been trying to sign us up under it for a very long time now. And they're getting closer to having it happen, but mainly because they're doing it behind closed doors and trying to keep it out of the public eye. And, after the few examples I've given you, I'm sure you can guess why! People would be outraged...as they should be!

However, there is hope. There is a group called ParentalRights.org who are fighting {very diligently and relentlessly} to see that this doesn't happen in America. They've even put together what promises to be a very enlightening movie to get their message out to the general public so that we can all be made aware of what's being plannned for us...and, more importantly, what we can do about it. I hope that my words have stirred up enough concern...or at least curiosity... that you'll give this topic the three minutes it takes to watch the trailer to see for yourself what this is all about, and then please join me in getting the word out. I'm including it here to make it less painful for you. You're welcome. ;) But still go check out the site!

ParentalRights.org provides many links on its site giving in-depth information regarding the UNCRC itself, the amendment opposing that treaty, a petition you can sign in opposition to the UNCRC, and all 50 states' representatives and where they stand on the issue...and so much more. Please don't take my word on this --See for yourselves! You can even do like I did and arrange for a venue in your community to host a viewing of this movie on or around November 20 {they're trying to have 1,000 locations across the country}. But since the number of DVDs available are limited and it's not likely that everyone who wants one will get one, the most important thing you can do is spread the word...Share the link to ParentalRights.org so they can get the information firsthand and then go on to do the same.

***************************************************************************************

ETA: In reading Jeanne's comment regarding the proposed amendment {thank you, Jeanne}, I realize I failed to make something clear. It is my understanding --and I'm not a lawyer and don't pretend to be-- that the parental rights Americans have enjoyed throughout history were tampered with in a court case before the Supreme Court back in 2000. This precedent started the ball rolling toward where we are today in that one of the Supreme Court justices held that parents have no constitutionally protected rights whatsoever.

According to the legal eagles at ParentalRights.org, "Support for a high-view of parental rights has been seriously undermined by the current Court." and...

"As a consequence, numerous lower federal courts refuse to treat parental rights as deserving of protection as a fundamental right." and...

"The only kind of law that can override a treaty is the Constitution of the United States. State laws or state constitutions cannot override treaties. There is no guarantee that federal statutes could override treaties—moreover, we enter a binding legal promise to obey a treaty when we ratify it. America should not promise to obey a treaty and then claim it is appropriate to obey the treaty only when we want to. America of all nations must respect the rule of law." {See "Why Do We Need an Amendment?" at ParentalRights.org}

So that is the purpose of the proposed amendment to the Constitution...to ensure that the fundamental rights and liberties that parents were intended to have REMAIN.

I hope this helps to explain it a bit better.

*******************************************************************

And please know that this issue has absolutely nothing to do with partisan lines, where your children get their education, your views on healthcare, or your religious beliefs whatsoever --it has everything to do with retaining our freedom to raise our own children without government intervention. Period.

So, as the November elections are just days away, you can find out if your elected officials {and those who are on the ballot for the upcoming election} support the growing movement to oppose the UNCRC. Your knowledge of how your candidates view this issue before you vote is important. Politicians all over the country are being bombarded with phone calls --most being made aware of the UNCRC for the first time...how telling is that?!-- and it's been very encouraging to see that many have signed on to support the opposition. Yay!!

Believe it or not, II've NEVER been very politically minded, but this issue absolutely horrifies me to think that our parental rights --that we've enjoyed and undoubtedly taken for granted for generations-- could be stripped from us all in a heartbeat and subject to international law....and without most of us even realizing it was even up for debate!   I hope you can see the writing on the wall and will choose to join me in standing up for our parental rights. Our country's families deserve it.

Well, that's it. My BIG discovery. Now shared with you...long-winded as it was {sorry, but I just couldn't do it justice any other way, and I'm sure I still fell short *sigh*}. Did you learn anything?   Did it make a difference in your life? Were you moved to action at all? Will you choose to make a difference in someone else's life? I sincerely hope so.... And if you don't want to go through the agonizing method that I did here {seriously, who could blame you?! lol}, feel free to share a link to this post.

Thank you so very much for the visit --for trusting in my decision to share this critical information in this way and for humoring me in reading through it all and and no doubt wincing when realizing I didn't catch my redundant babble.  I so hope you'll stop by again soon --I promise to have a card to share next time. ;) But if I've lost you as a reader, then I have to say it was worth the price --sorry if that sounds harsh, but as I get older, the more aware I am that there are times when we should be more concerned with doing the right thing than worrying about what other people will think-- I hope you understand.

Until next time, many blessings to you!

{abundant} blessings

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 00:24:00 +0000

It's Friday {night} --yay! ;D

It's been raining lightly and starting to get a little chilly here today, but I won't complain...it feels like fall {finally}. The hubby's gone on an outdoor training weekend in the mountains to complete his Ass't Scoutmaster training, and I have a feeling it's going to be a lot colder {and perhaps a little snowy} there. The kids and I have had a busy day, and they'll have me up and running early again tomorrow too. Not quite the relaxing weekend "off" from my wifey duties, but we're gonna have fun. Except for the part about having to get up early Saturday and Sunday. Ugh. But to ease the pain of it all -lol, I'm about to go whip up a crustless pumpkin pie for us. Comforting, warming, and completely YUMMY!! ;D

Anyway...here's a card I made for the Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge this week --in addition to following the sketch, the cards are supposed to have lots of sparkle to them as well. Normally, I'd love that idea, but I had to think long and hard about how to make these pumpkins sparkle without looking weird. lol Did I succeed?

With the gloomy weather, I couldn't get a great picture --the two crystals on the right side are actually identical in color to the ones on the rest of the card, but they look darker here. ;( I tried to capture the sparkle by taking a closeup {and the crystals still look dark...bummer}, but I'm not sure it shows all that well in this one either. :/

I used clear embossing powder to stamp the image in before coloring it up with Prismacolor pencils. It gave it a little shine, but not enough. So then I added some Stickles here and there, and I'm actually liking how it turned out. ;) {It really does look quite a bit prettier in person.}

Well, I'm off to the kitchen {yet again -lol}. Hope you're having a nice relaxing evening too. ;)

Thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy boosters {just doin' my part -lol!}:

Cardstock: Colonial White, Autumn Terracotta, Olive (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: Pyrus 6x6 collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps: Bountiful Harvest (Verve)

Ink: Vintage Sepia VersaFine (Tsukineko), Tea Dye Distress Ink (Ranger)

Other: Pumpkin Harvest embossing folder, Cuttlebug (Provo Craft), Prismacolor pencils (Sanford), odorless mineral spirits (Mona Lisa), blending stumps (Alvin), Lt. Col. (whatever that means??) Topaz crystals (Swarovski for Jolee's), Spiced Marmalade Stickles, Scattered Straw Distress Stickles (Ranger), VersaMark (Tsukineko), clear embossing powder, heat tool, sponge (CTMH), tan sparkly ribbon (American Crafts), Crafter's Pick "The Ultimate" adhesive (API), sandpaper, sewing machine, thread, foam mounting tape

{mojo} birthday bash

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 22:07:00 +0000

Happy Sunday to ya! ;) I hope you're having a nice weekend.

I found time to make a card yesterday, so I played along with this week's Mojo Monday sketch. I probably should've been doing any number of other things around the house, but getting to stamp fairly regularly lately has been such fun...I couldn't help myself. {Who needs clean clothes anyway, right? lol}

It's an unusual color combination, but I thought it was a nice departure. My starting point {other than the sketch} was the striped piece with a floral scalloped lower edge {the striped portion is just about completely covered though}. Then I took a piece of some really old {and retired} background paper from Close To My Heart --I've been hoarding what little gingham I have left, as it's my all-time favorite!-- and I added some stripes through it using a marker to make it blend in a bit better. Part of the cake was paper pieced, and the candles were stamped a second time, colored, and cut out individually and then layered on top with foam tape for a bit more dimension. I used Stickles as the 'piped' icing edges around the cake.

Well, I've some groceries to put away, a few loads of laundry to tackle {it seems that we could use some clean clothes for this week -lol}, and dinner to start. Pretty much feels like the weekend's over to me. ;(

Thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy boosters {just doin' my part -lol}:

Cardstock: White Daisy, Goldrush, Hollyhock, Tulip (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: Hog Heaven 12x12 stack (Sassafras Lass), Two Scoops 6x6 collection (BasicGrey), {ret.} Hollyhock Background & Texture paper (CTMH)

Stamps: Birthday Bash, Birthday Surprise (Verve)

Ink: Parchment, Brown Bag, Hollyhock, Goldrush (CTMH), Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger)

Other: Prismacolor pencils (Sanford), odorless mineral spirits (Mona Lisa), blending stumps (Alvin), Labels One (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug (Provo Craft), buttons (recycled from my youngest daughter's clothing), embroidery floss (DMC), Fruit Punch Stickles, Scattered Straw Distress Stickles (Ranger), white pigment pen (Signo), sponge, Goldrush Exclusive Inks marker (CTMH), Crafter's Pick "The Ultimate" adhesive (API), foam mounting tape, sandpaper

you're the {best}

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:16:00 +0000

Can you believe it --TWO posts in one week?!? {I know. I'm as surprised as you are! lol}

It's Friday again, so we're all smiles over here! We've got our usual pancakes and pizza lined up for today {that's all we do on Fridays...eat --just kidding! -lol}, and a day interspersed with a couple scouting obligations tomorrow {I'm still hoping to get a little stamping in though}, including a bonfire at the charming refurbished country farmhouse of one of the families from church tomorrow night. And since the weather's a good bit warmer than I remember it being for this event last year, it should be a lot of fun for everyone! ;D

Well, I hope you're up for another masculine card...it's that time of the year for me. ;)

I made this one for my dad's upcoming birthday, using some papers that remind us all of him and Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge from last week.

There's quite a bit of dimension, but no stitching on this one, faux or real...and I miss it. :( As an afterthought, I added some Glamour Dust to make the "BEST" stand out. In hindsight, I'm pretty sure it wasn't the brightest idea I've ever had for a man's card. It doesn't sparkle too, too much {which is a good thing}, but it kinda reminds me of little, teeny, tiny snowballs {and my dad is decidedly not a big fan of snow}. Oh, well. I tried. :/ And my dad may not notice. I hope. lol

Well, that's it for me. And this may just be a record for my shortest post...I'm just full of surprises today, aren't I?! ;P

Enjoy your weekend!

Thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy Boosters {just doin' my part -lol}:

Cardstock: Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink), Olive, Colonial White (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: Archaic 6x6 collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps: Kindred Spirits (Verve)

Ink: Vintage Sepia VersaFine (Tsukineko), Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger), Heavenly Blue (CTMH)

Other: Labels One, Classic Oval Large (Spellbinders), Houndstooth embossing folder, Cuttlebug (Provo Craft), Checker Board border punch (Martha Stewart), buttons (BasicGrey), Rustic Jute Button Twine (Papertrey Ink), Glamour Dust (DecoArt), Crafter's Pick "The Ultimate" adhesive (API), foam mounting tape

you're a {star}

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 01:09:00 +0000

Well, hello, and happy Wednesday! I hope you're having a wonderful week...but if you're not, just think, it's only two sleeps away until Friday! ;D

I had to make a masculine birthday card yesterday, so I zeroed in on a fun sketch --this time it was The Sweet Stop's Sketch 77, by Korin Sutherland {owner of Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps...Did I ever tell ya that I knew her before she was rich and famous? Yep, it's true. ;) She's just as sweet as she is talented...and you all know how talented she is!}. I've been eyeing her fantastic sketches since the beginning, but I'm pretty sure this is the first one I've actually used. And it won't be the last.

In addition to using the sketch, I challenged myself to use some "Eerie" paper I've had sitting around for about a year now. I love the colors and most of the designs, but I didn't realize there would be skulls incorporated into soooo many of the papers {guess that's what I get for shopping online so much of the time...hard to tell exactly what you're getting in these paper packs, although, my thinking is, with BasicGrey it's kinda hard to go wrong}. Anyway, since I'm not a 'skull' fan, it's taken me quite a while to warm up to this particular pack. In mulling over my paper choices for this card, I thought this would be the perfect time to try to use it --only I had to strategically cut/use it so that I wouldn't include any of the skulls {or bats}. ;)

Here's what I came up with:

I used Spica glitter pens all over the border of the star, the "frame," and the purple streamers, but you can't see any of it from the picture. ;( I used some Stickles on all the star's little dots too. I thought it added a lot to the card...in real life anyway. The Dew Drops are actually a deep purple color, but they don't look it here. ;( Oh, well. I also used a white pen for the faux stitching. I think real stitching would've looked better, but since I'd already attached the panels before deciding it needed 'something,' it was too late to pull out the sewing machine.

And here's the inside:

Hope you enjoy the rest of your week. ;)

Thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy Boosters {just doin' my part -lol}:

Cardstock: White Daisy, Black (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: Eerie 6x6 collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps: You're a Star (Unity)

Ink: Onyx Black VersaFine (Tsukineko), Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger)

Other: Prismacolor pencils (Sanford), odorless mineral spirits (Mona Lisa), blending stumps (Alvin), Stars 5 dies (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug (Provo Craft), small star punch (SU!), black Saddle Stitch ribbon (Papertrey Ink), Uni-ball white pigment pen (Signo), Black Diamond Stickles (Ranger), Lavender, Orange, Melon Spica glitter pens (Too Marker Products, Inc.), Paris Dew Drops (The Robin's Nest), Crafter's Pick "The Ultimate" adhesive (API), foam mounting tape

butterfly {birthday} wishes

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:01:00 +0000

So how was your week? I hope it was a good one. ;)

Is your weather as fickle as ours has been lately?? We've had plenty of sunshine and summer-like temps and a smattering of days with dreary skies and fairly cool temps...no wonder I keep fighting a sore throat. Today has the possibility of rain showers and thunderstorms in the forecast. Wacky. But the leaves are beautifully turning, so I know fall did in fact make its entrance. Although before too long all those stunning autumn-hued leaves will be gone, and I hope I get to experience the feeling of fall before that happens, ya know? I'm looking forward to putting away the shorts and bringing out the sweaters. ;) Seems like last year we went straight from summer to winter --sure hope that isn't the case this year, though I'm not gonna hold my breath.

Today's card is one that was relatively quick to make...for me anyway. I've had another one in the works for several weeks now but for some reason I'm just not happy with it no matter what I try and it refuses to be finished. {Does that ever happen to you?} So...since the occasion for this card was celebrated well over a month ago --Yikes!-- {I'm so thankful my friend is patient with me!}, I figured I'd better just scrap it and start fresh. And I'm so glad I did. I used last week's Taylored Expressions sketch as my inspiration. {If you hadn't noticed, I'm rather enamored with her sketches lately! lol} Here's what I came up with:

Well, this weekend promises to be another busy one for our family...but at least we're starting it off right --yep, you guessed it-- with pancakes! ;P Hope you're planning to enjoy a wonderful weekend too!

Oh, in case you want to leave a comment, I've had to temporarily go to 'moderate' status since some *sad* person {yeah, that was their *name*} tried to leave me 35! spam comments the other night {and here I thought I had just found my most ardent fan ever! lol} --they were in a foreign language...and not Spanish, like we've started learning this year...but since all 35 comments were identical I figured it was a good thing I didn't know what they said. ;)

Thanks so much for taking the time to come visit me here, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy Boosters {just doin' my part -lol!}:

Cardstock: White Daisy, Baby Pink, Tulip (CTMH)

Patterned Paper Urban Prairie 6x6 collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps: Silhouette Blooms II (Cornish Heritage Farms...how I miss them)

Ink: Onyx Black VersaFine (Tsukineko)

Other: Butterflies die (Spellbinders), D'Vine Swirls embossing folder, Cuttlebug (Provo Craft), Classic Butterfly punch (Martha Stewart), Corner Rounder punch (EK Success), ribbon (recycled from ??), one of my very favorites...Cluny crochet trim (Wright's), large pink button, yellow button (Papertrey Ink), pink flower button, red flower buttons (recycled from my youngest daughter's clothing --aren't they cute?!), My Legacy Writer (CTMH), Star Dust Stickles (Ranger), embroidery floss (DMC), sewing machine, thread, Crafter's Pick "The Ultimate" adhesive (API)

you are {my} home

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 15:27:00 +0000

Yay, it's another Friday! Have I ever mentioned how much I *heart* Fridays? ;D

So how are ya? I hope you all had a better week than I did. Ugh. But that's not for publication.

However, some good things did happen this past week, and so I'll focus on those:

*It was my wonderful hubby's birthday

*It was my sweet oldest daughter's birthday {hers was the cupcake card I shared last week}

*My sweet youngest daughter and I got to see the nine new {feisty} baby piglets at the dairy

*My dad's eye {laser} procedure went well

*I got to talk with all of my older kids and my parents on the phone {all at different times}

and...

*My cupcake card was listed as one of those chosen by Taylor for the Top Crops for TESC128!!! I'm still in shock. {Two weeks in a row...but who's counting? lol}

You guys are always so sweet and generous with your comments here. Thank you so much for taking the time to visit and leave me reasons to smile --you guys are the best...especially considering how seldom I've blogged or been to visit you this year! ;) I'm hoping to have a little blurfing time this weekend to see what you've all been up to lately as well.

So...onto to this week's card. It's a wonder I actually got it put together. As I told you last Friday, my Li'l Miss and I had a girls' weekend all to ourselves, so I was looking forward to a lot of stamping time. And I was super excited when I saw Taylor's sketch last Friday, as I knew right away that it would be the one I would use to make my hubby's birthday card. Little did I know that Li'l Miss had big plans of her own...to stamp...and feast...all weekend.

This meant that I spent a *wee* bit more time in the kitchen than I'd anticipated. And when I wasn't cooking {or cleaning up the dishes}, it seemed like every few minutes I would be summoned by a sweet voice calling, "Do you have...." "Can I use some of your...," "Does this paper look good with...," "What stamp should I use on this...," "Can you help me with...," and "Where is the...." And on it went. Of course it was music to my ears --a true joy to see my daughter having so much fun being creative and making her cards-- but after a while I was starting to get concerned that I'd never get my card made in time {the guys were getting back about noon on Sunday...and you all know how slow I am}. I ended up working at night and early in the morning while my young sidekick was either watching a movie or sleeping. ;)

Well, the Li'l Miss had a grand ol' time and made SEVEN cards in less than 24 hours {and not working on them even half of that time...sheesh!}! In comparison, by Friday evening I'd only selected my papers for ONE card {and only because I had "help" --Before he left for the weekend, I had asked my hubby if he had any color preferences for his card; he said he didn't...but then he added that "black, gray, and red might be nice." lol Well, okay then. ;P

Here's what I ended up with:

Not your traditional birthday card, I know. But then again, if you knew how our lives have changed...and not at all like we'd planned...since we sold our home and left virtually everyone we love and everything we knew in California four years ago, you'd understand completely where this came from. { If you don't want a bit of an explanation, then spare yourself the boredom and just skip the next paragraph.}

We know that God has a tremendous sense of humor and a perfect plan for our lives. And when we try to deviate from His plan for us, we often end up the recipients of His loving discipline until we learn to hear His voice guiding us...which is actually a blessing. In other words, we've since learned that our plans to pack up and move far, far away {or at least in the exact steps we took} were obviously not in line with His plans for us and we're still feeling the consequences of not being able to discern that before proceeding down what turned out to be the wrong path. Though costly, it hasn't been a bad experience. We've been enjoying the detour and have even found ourselves blessed along the way, and --BIG lesson learned here-- we've learned to be content wherever we are. We've also gained a new appreciation for sitting in an indefinite holding pattern, waiting until He clearly unblocks the path and leads the way. So this card is my way of saying to my hubby that No matter where we live, no matter what our housing situation --owning, renting, big house, little house, here or there--- he is my home. {I did suggest he not even think about testing me on this by asking me to live in our 27' travel trailer! lol} He is such a wonderful, loving husband and sometimes I neglect to remind him of that. Guess it could've been given to him at any time, but {since I rarely have time to make cards for him} I chose his birthday. ;) Hope that made sense.

I'm not sure if you can tell, but I put a piece of vellum over the focal image and then cut around *our* home so it would stand out more than the others. I used three different stamp sets to piece together the wording, and the only thing I did differently from the sketch was to raise up the placement of the sentiment...it seemed to work much better with the image I'd chosen.

This next card is the one my talented mom made for my hubby. {Hope you don't mind, Mom.}

Isn't it wonderful?! And check out all those great masculine touches! Though I didn't capture it in the pic, the windshield and window actually have some sheen to it like sunshine's reflecting off it...haven't figured out how she did that yet, so I'm gonna have to ask. The chrome details sparkle and shine as well --just perfect! Anyway, my hubby loves this card as much as I do, but he and my dad both had a good laugh over it. But not in a bad way. My hubby, who has almost always owned Chevys and has a Chevy truck, noticed the GMC license plate on the truck right away. My Dad, who has long had a thing for GMC vehicles and has a GMC truck, loved the card and told my mom that that's exactly what would happen when my hubby opened the card. And it did. Funny, it never even occurred to us gals. It's gotta be a guy thing. ;)

So there ya have it. Alllllllll of it! ;P Sorry for all the blabbering. Must've been {looonnnnggggg} overdue. lol

I'm off to make pancakes...right after I go check out Taylor's sketch for this week! ;) Hope you have a happy weekend! Oh, and Happy October {can you believe it's October...already?!}!!

Thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy Boosters {just doin' my part -lol!}:

Cardstock: Smokey Shadow, Scarlet Jewel (Papertrey Ink), White Daisy, vellum (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: Oliver 6x6 collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps: What Matters Most, Where You Should Be, Because of You (Ippity by Unity)

Ink: Onyx Black VersaFine (Tsukineko)

Other: Prismacolor pencils (Sanford), odorless mineral spirits (Mona Lisa), blending stumps (Alvin), Labels Twelve (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug (Provo Craft), Heart-to-Heart punch (SU!), Zig-Zag Stitch border punch (EK Success), Mens Dew Drops (The Robin's Nest), sewing machine, thread, Crafter's Pick "The Ultimate" adhesive (API), pop dots, foam mounting tape

neopolitan {cupcake}

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:03:00 +0000

Good morning...and it's a happy Friday again!

In case you didn't know, I just *heart* Fridays! There are so many reasons to love Fridays! It's:

*{chocolate chip} pancake day and {pepperoni or BBQ chicken} pizza day at our house

{yes, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen...but I love every minute of it, except for all the dishes}

*the day to go to the dairy to get our milk and eggs

*Park Day {if the kids have all their schoolwork done}

*the beginning of a weekend

AND

*it's also the day when Taylored Expressions puts out another great sketch challenge!

What's NOT to love, I tell ya?!

I think making a card for a sketch challenge could be a good motivator for my posting here. ;) I often use sketches to jump-start my creativity, but I seldom manage to get them posted. I'm trying to change that. {BTW, did you happen to see this post earlier this week? It was such a fun surprise and it brought a HUGE smile to my face! Could be another good motivator too...ya think?? lol}

Today's card uses Taylored Expressions' sketch challenge from last Friday, TESC128. I'm in love with the brown background paper {that I've had for ages but never cut into!}, and I think the chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla colors here are perfect for a yummy cupcake. ;) It's got more of a clean and simple look to it than my typical 'style,' but it seemed right for those papers. Oh, and there's no wonky attempt at circular stitching on this one. lol Hope you like it.

It's also my sweet hubby's birthday on Sunday, so I'll be spending the next couple days preparing for that --I still need to make his card and then, in addition to his requested dinner, I'm going to surprise him by making his favorite dessert...caramel apple pie...to go with the homemade vanilla ice cream he asked for. {He'll be away with our son on a big Scout outing this weekend, so the Li'l Miss and I should have two fun-filled days of girl --translate: *stamping*-- time. Woohoo!!}

I hope you're all anticipating a wonderful weekend as well!

Thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy Boosters (just doin' my part -lol!):

Cardstock: White Daisy, Baby Pink (CTMH), Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: Pink Small Dots (Making Memories), Sweetheart Follow Your Heart/Dot (Pebbles, Inc.)

Stamps: Seize the Cupcake (Verve), Mixed Messages (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Vintage Sepia VerasFine (Tsukineko), Baby Pink (CTMH)

Other: Prismacolor pencils (Sanford), odorless mineral spirits (Mona Lisa), blending stumps (Alvin), Labels Three, Tags Trio (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug (Provo Craft), Scalloped Dot border punch (EK Success), crochet trim (Wright's), Sweet Blush Saddle Stitch ribbon (Papertrey Ink), embroidery floss (DMC), Smoked Topaz crystals (Swarovski for Jolee's), sponge (CTMH), Crafter's Pick "The Ultimate" adhesive (API), foam mounting tape

plant a little {love}

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:41:00 +0000

Good morning and a very happy Friday to ya!! ;D

First I want to say a big thank you to all of you who took the time to share some of your best time-management tips for me. You guys really impressed me with your thought-out replies, and I'm truly appreciative and will let you know how I do after incorporating some of them into my routine. After I get a new battery for my timer. Or a new timer. ;) Wish me luck!

Since I last posted, we've been camping (lotsa fun!), got a new camera (old one died), annoying computer woes (as in this is my fourth attempt to get this posted this morning --ugh!), and I've also started growing my own wheatgrass (I've been labeled "The Plant Assassin" for years, so I'm really excited that things are growing well --so far anyway (yes, I'm holding my breath here)-- and will share some pics with you another time...I'm sure you're just dying to see them -lol!).

As most of you know I haven't had much stamping/blogging time this year, and this time of the year is always especially crazy for me with school and extra-curricular activities starting up (I'm sure you know what I mean) and several very special birthdays to prepare for! I'm still behind a bit but at least I'm making progress. Baby steps, right?!

Today's card uses a really fun sketch from the Taylored Expressions blog, and I used a pretty hydrangea image to coordinate with the beautifully soft Wisteria papers by BasicGrey. (Just don't look too closely at the stitched circle...yep, it was my first attempt at circular stitching and it got the better of me. And, true to form, I didn't have enough time to redo the focal piece so I had to go with it.) Hope you like it anyway.

Well, I need to keep this post short and sweet since we're having friends over for dinner and games tonight and my To-Do List is as long as my arm. And my first stop will be the kitchen: chocolate chip pancakes brunch for the kids (something we all look forward to every Friday...yep, even the hubby comes home to join us when he can, although he prefers his without the chocolate chips --go figure! lol) and then I'm going to try out a new Martha Stewart recipe that sounded delicious called Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies (I'm sooooo glad it's pumpkin season again!!) --it won't complement the homemade Rocky Road ice cream all that well, but at least the flavors won't clash too badly should some of us decide to have a little of both tonight. ;P

Hope you all enjoy your Friday...it's a great way to kick off a wonderful weekend! ;)

Thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy Boosters (just doin' my part -lol!):

Cardstock: Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink), Pansy Purple (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: Wisteria 6x6 collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps: Plant a Little Love (JustRite Stampers), Mixed Messages (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Smokey Gray Versafine (Tsukineko), Grey Flannel (CTMH)

Other: Prismacolor pencils (Sanford), odorless mineral spirits (Mona Lisa), blending stumps (Alvin), Petite Scallop Circles 1 and 2, Standard Circles Large and Small (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug (Provo Craft), Scallop Trim border punch (SU!), Opaline half pearls (BasicGrey), White Opal Liquid Pearls (Ranger), vellum, sponge (CTMH), Vintage Cream twill (Papertrey Ink), Crafter's Pick "The Ultimate" adhesive (API), sewing machine, thread, foam mounting tape

21 {son} salute

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 21:17:00 +0000

So how are y'all doin'?!? Hopefully you're well and have been up to much the same things I've been recently:

*Enjoying wonderful visits with family and friends (who live over 1,000 miles away...LOTSA driving involved, but soooo worth it)

*Spending time in the sunshine (taking the kids to the beach and watching them surf, collect shells, play in the water, and get buried in the sand)

*Catching up on some reading (for pleasure)

*Trying something new (like making homemade yogurt and butter --good stuff!)

*Getting prepared for the new school year (we began last week)

Cliche as it is, time really does fly when you're having fun (and actually, the older I get, the more I realize it passes just as quickly even when you're not...well, almost as quickly -lol) --I can't believe it's been over two months since I last posted!

But with summer pretty much behind us now (all except the high temps), things are about to settle into more of a routine for us and so I hope I can find a way to fit in some scheduled crafty time for mysellf. Not sure why, but summer isn't as carefree for me as I always think it will be, although I kinda suspect it has a lot to do with my time management. Nothing on schedule means it's not as likely to get done. I'm a planner...the type that needs to have a "To Do" list so I can refer to it and check things off as I go...waking with a sense of direction for my day. If not, well, I'm just not as productive as I should be and really WANT/NEED to be. So...I think that should definitely be one of my current goals (sadly, I've been saying that for several years now but I haven't quite gotten a handle on it). I can already identify some problem areas ...sleeping habits, telephone and computer time, etc.... but I'd really appreciate it if any of you would share some of your best tips as to how you manage your time/productivity!

Anyway, I hope you've been stamping a LOT more than I have. I've really missed blogging (both posting and blurfing) and stamping....

Well, today is my middle son's 21st birthday. And knowing that I couldn't not make him a card to mark this special occasion (despite the fact that he's the one who usually tosses the cards shortly after receiving them), I put it on the calendar last weekend to make his card and this is what I came up with:

Since he's my blonde-haired, blue-eyed, California surfer boy (man?), I chose this paper because it reminded me of the ocean waves and his carefree style. He's always got a smile on his face and is bubbling over with fun and enthusiasm --he's always been that way and it's one of my favorite things about him. Knowing where this card was headed, I kept it rather simple. I still had some fun with it by using Mercy Kerin's sketch from last week and tried to mimic the circles/dots within the wavy lines of the background paper by adding some of that detail to the focal circle. The "21" was stamped on cardstock with VersaMark, then coated with a few layers of clear embossing powder, cut out, and mounted with dimensional foam tape. He claimed to like it. ;)

Don't forget to leave me a comment with some of the ways you've found to make your time management more successful --thanks!

And thanks so much for the visit, and I hope we'll both be back again soon -lol! Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy boosters (just doin' my part -lol!):

Cardstock: Vintage Cream, Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper: "Archaic" 6x6 collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps: Large Friendship Alphabet (CTMH), Polka Dot Basics (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Chocolate (CTMH), Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger)

Other: Classic Circles Small and Large, Classic Paisley (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug, Tiny Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft), VersaMark (Tsukineko), clear embossing powder, heat tool, sponge, micro-tip scissors (CTMH), grosgrain ribbon, twine button (Papertrey Ink), ric rac (craft supply), foam mounting tape

reverse image {baptism}

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:09:00 +0000

My goodness, how time flies! It's officially summer now --YAY! How are you all doing?!

These last few months have blurred on by and I can't believe how little stamping and posting {and blogging in general --sorry, ladies...I've missed stopping by your blogs} I've done...and my mojo is feeling WAY rusty. ;(

We've been busy doing 'life' around here {which has been a lot of fun}, but each time I've tried to make a card, more often than not, I ended up just staring at my supplies and not being able to come up with any sort of definitive plan to pull them all together. It's been sad {and very frustrating}, I tell ya. I must be one of those who needs to keep their hand in it or I forget how. But on the bright side, I think if 'needing' to stamp is the remedy, things could be a lot worse. ;)

Tomorrow...tomorrow I WILL make a card. Or maybe even two, if things go well. ;) But I'm not wanting to set myself up for disappointment, so I think I'll just set my goal for one.

For today, though, I thought I'd share a card I made last summer for a dear friend's daughter's baptism. For the dove on the card front, I used the "Mirror-It" stamp I bought a long time ago from Cornish Heritage Farms so I could reverse the dove image {it was my first time using it, but I thought it worked really well}.

At first using the 'reverse image' terminology sounded strange in association with a baptism, but the more I thought about it, reversing our image is pretty much what baptism is about...dying to ourselves and living anew in Christ. Makes perfect sense to me now. ;)

Here's the inside left {with Hannah's favorite Bible verse}:

And inside right:

Thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy boosters (just doin' my part -lol!):

Cardstock: White Daisy, Crystal Blue, Vellum (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: Euphoria 6x6 collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps: Cross with Vines, Mirror-It (Cornish Heritage Farms), Faith (CTMH)

Ink: Jet Black Staz-On (Tsukineko), Baby Pink, Heavenly Blue (CTMH)

Other: VersaMark (Tsukineko), White Opaque embossing powder (Stampendous), heat tool, sponge (CTMH), Prismacolor pencils (Sanford), odorless mineral spirits (Mona Lisa), blending stumps (Alvin), Cluny crochet trim (Wright's), blue ribbon (May Arts), button (BasicGrey), Scalloped Scallop border punch, Swirl Flourish punch (EK Success), 3/4" circle punch (SU!), foam mounting tape, glue dots, computer

{double shot of} birthday wishes

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Mon, 31 May 2010 14:00:00 +0000

So how's your weekend going? Hope you're enjoying it, whatever you're doing. ;)

As you read this, we should be getting ready to head home after a relaxing and fun weekend camping with friends. And as I write this, I'm hoping that the predictions of thunderstorms for Saturday didn't end up panning out...as being on the plains in Wyoming in the middle of nowhere isn't really an ideal location to be in such conditions {especially considering we had a tornado watch/warning at home on this past Wednesday with the same "30% chance of thunderstorms" predicted for Saturday}. I enjoy watching the Wizard of Oz like everyone else, but the thought of flying through the air in a trailer...and with our dog, who's a bit too big to fit inside a handbasket...isn't something I'm hoping to experience --ever!

Last year on this same weekend we camped at the same place. I remember having a couple days of heavy wind and rain, complete with very loud thunderstorms at night. It was kinda spooky then, but even more so now knowing that a tornado just whipped through this area a couple days ago. I realize we don't live in Tornado Alley, but it seems they still like to make a pass through our area every now and then this time of year. Since there's no Internet access or phone coverage to be able to check on severe weather warnings {plus tech-ing up would defeat the idea of going camping!}, me thinks we need to pick up a weather radio before heading out of town today...you know, just in case. ;)

Okay...enough of my rambling. These two cards were inspired by THIS card made by Mercy Kerin. Even though hers is much prettier, I loved it so much that I decided to make two of them...and both are on their way to California to two very special birthday girls. ;)

I used some beautiful papers from the Cappella collection, which was a gift from my mom --thanks so much, Mom!!

Here's the first one:

If you're reading this, Happy Birthday, Barb! I know how much Barb loves her shimmer, so I had fun applying Glimmer Mist to the patterned paper...and I may or may not have used a little too much {Mmmm...I'm wondering, Is there really such a thing as too much shimmer? Actually, the jury's still out on that one. lol}. If you have a minute, hop on over to Barb's blog and wish her a happy birthday! ;D

And the second one:

The beautiful crocheted flowers were a lovely handmade gift from my very sweet and talented friend Jeanne, and the ribbon {trim, rose, and little flower centers) was taken from the wrapping Beverly used for my birthday gift back in January. It's so pretty that I saved it, knowing I'd have to find some way to use it for her. Wonder if she'll recognize it. ;)

As always, thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy boosters {just doin' my part -lol!}:

Birthday Wishes {a la Capella}

Cardstock: Colonial White, Garden Green, Grey Flannel (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: Cappella collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps: Silhouette Blooms II (Cornish Heritage Farms)

Ink: Smokey Gray VersaFine (Tsukineko)

Other: Blossoms II (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug (Provo Craft), Lace border punch (Fiskars), Cornice border punch (Martha Stewart), Swirl Flourish punch (EK Success), Pearl Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels), scrunched seam binding (MemrieMare), paper needle (Making Memories), Crafter's Pick "The Ultimate" adhesive (API), sponge (CTMH), foam mounting tape

Burgundy Birthday Wishes

Cardstock: Colonial White, Garden Green (CTMH), Smokey Shadow (PTI)

Patterned Paper: Cappella collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps: Silhouette Blooms II (Cornish Heritage Farms)

Ink: Onyx Black VersaFine (Tsukineko), Grey Wool (CTMH)

Other: beautiful, handmade crocheted flowers (Jeanne Tomshack), burgundy wired ribbon (gift wrapping from Beverly), sponge (CTMH), Lace border punch, decorative edge scissors (Fiskars), 1 1/4" circle punch (EK Success), Crafter's Pick "The Ultimate" adhesive (API), foam mounting tape

wishing {you}

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Fri, 28 May 2010 20:05:00 +0000

Where does the time go?!? I can't believe it's Friday already...and we're planning to be on the road in a few hours to go camping for the weekend. Before I get back to all the food prep {I really dislike cooking with the trailer's stovetop} and packing, I thought I'd pop in real quick and share a card with you.

I made it using Taylor Vanbruggen's sketch from last Friday...fully intending to get it posted before her new sketch was posted today, but the week totally got away from me --nothing new there though so I'm not at all surprised. lol I had a lot of fun with this one. Hope you like it. ;)

And I loved how I found a black flower button in my stash that seemed to go with this perfectly. ;)

Enjoy your weekend --be safe and be thankful for all those Americans who have so bravely served our country to preserve our safety and many freedoms...let's just pray our country can maintain its democracy based on the principles it was founded so that their great sacrifices won't have been in vain.

Thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy Boosters {just doin' my part -lol!}:

Cardstock: Smokey Shadow (PTI), White Daisy, Baby Pink (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: Alissa "So Cute," Alissa "Twirls," Alissa "Love You" from A Gift of Love collection (Bo Bunny)

Stamps: Wishing You (Verve)

Ink: Onyx Black VersaFine (Tsukineko), Baby Pink, White Daisy pigment ink (CTMH)

Other: Blossom, Standard Circle Large (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug, Victoria embossing folder (Provo Craft), ribbon, buttons (PTI), embroidery floss (DMC), half pearls (BasicGrey), Crafter's Pick "The Ultimate" adhesive (API), sewing machine, thread, foam mounting tape

Mom {etc.}

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Sat, 22 May 2010 23:27:00 +0000

Happy Saturday! ;D

It's a beautiful day here...it reached 90 degrees! Talk about wacky weather --we've pretty much gone the full range of possibilities this week: wind, rain, sunshine, thunderstorms, and even a tornado watch, and now it's sunny and HOT. Tomorrow it'll probably snow. lol Gotta love Colorado weather. I'm not complainin' though...having actual "weather" was one of the things we were looking forward to when we left So. Cal. And we haven't been disappointed. Could definitely do without the tornadoes though!

How are y'all doing this week?

I just finished up a card {the only one this week...but better than nothing!}, but I thought I'd pop in today to share with you the Mother's Day cards my mom and I made each other. {I think we're both lovin' aqua lately...well, it's one of her most favorite colors, so I guess it stands to reason. ;) But there's more than what I'm showing you here...you'll see what I mean soon enough. lol}

Here I paired it with a soft peach {LoVe that combo}:

And a peek of the inside:

And here's the beauty she made for me:

Look at all those pearls! And did you notice how she adorned the stick pin? So clever! I just love this card!! Thanks again, Mom!

***********************************************************************

And I thought I'd share a couple more lovely cards that our family was blessed to have sent my way at Easter...even though I never got a single Easter card made in return. I'm so sorry I haven't posted them earlier...you all know what a baaaad blogger I've been recently. But a card's a card, right?, and better late than not at all is what I always say. ;) And I know you'll enjoy these.

This one is from my sweet bloggin' buddy, Barb:

I know you can't see it here, but in real life, there's a subtle shimmer over the ENTIRE card. Barb makes her own version of glimmer mist, and it does such a beautiful job of making things sparkle!

And this last one was from my mom. She'll probably not be too thrilled to see it shared here {because it wasn't her favorite...not sure why}, but I thought it was beautiful and think you'll appreciate it too. See what I mean?

She used a beautiful copper embossing powder {her first time to heat emboss!}, and I love all that matching glitter on the side strip. ;) So pretty!

Well, it's time to start dinner. Hope you enjoy your evening!

Thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy boosters {just doin' my part -lol!}:

Cardstock: Curious Iridescent Cryogen White (Arjo-Wiggins), Creme Brulee, vellum (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: Veranda collection (CTMH), Home collection mat pack (My Mind's Eye)

Stamps: Because of You (Verve)

Ink: Juniper, Creme Brulee (CTMH), Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger)

Other: Simple Scallop border punch (Martha Stewart), All A-Fleur embossing border punch (Fiskars), grosgrain ribbon (American Crafts), scrunched seam binding, vintage pearl button (Memrie Mare etsy shop), crochet trim (Wright's), Flower Creations, Fancy Tags, Labels Ten (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug (Provo Craft), Pearl Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels), VersaMark (Tsukineko), heat tool, clear embossing powder, sponge (CTMH), paper needle (Making Memories), embroidery floss (DMC), pop dots

birthday {wishes}

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Fri, 14 May 2010 03:12:00 +0000

So how have ya'll been?! Do you realize it's been over a month since I posted last?!?! Or did anyone even miss me? lol

I'm really sorry I've been such a slacker on my blog {again}, but I've come to the conclusion that it's just the way it's gotta be from time to time. *BIG sigh* As everyone knows, there aren't any do-overs in life, and sometimes stamping and blogging need to take a back seat...for me anyway. I'm still hoping to find the right balance so I won't be quite so sporadic with this, but until then I hope you'll hang in there with me...if there are any of you still stopping by that is. ;)

My parents just blessed our family with a visit this past week, and of course it made Mother's Day extra special. The only thing missing was the presence of my older kids...but at least I was able to talk with each of them that day. How was your Mother's Day? Did you do anything special?

I had intended to post the Mother's Day card I made for my mom, but since I haven't transferred the pics to my computer yet, that'll have to be my next post. I want to post it with the card my mom made for me --it's gorgeous!

The card I'm sharing here is one I made quite sometime ago but hadn't shared yet --I have a lot of those. ;) Hope you like it. Oh, and the sketch I used was one by Mercy Kerin.

Thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy Boosters {just doin' my part -lol!}:

Cardstock: Curious Iridescent Cryogen White (Arjo-Wiggins), Vanilla Cream, Pansy Purple (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: Wisteria collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps: Circular Sayings (Verve)

Ink: Pansy Purple, Lilac Mist, Vanilla Cream (CTMH)

Other: Cuttlebug, Stylized Flowers embossing folder (Provo Craft), Blossom dies (Spellbinders), Embossed Petals border punch (Martha Stewart), button (PTI), waxed linen thread (unknown), crystal bling (Swarovski), Spica glitter pens (Too Marker), Paris Dew Drops (Robin's Nest), satin ribbon (Offray), Baby Blue Stickles (Ranger), Liquid Glass, sponges (CTMH), sewing machine, thread, foam mounting tape, pop dots

what a {glorious} day

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 17:57:00 +0000

What a wonderful, glorious, happy day!! It's Easter! ;D

{Twist-tie figure courtesy of my 12-Y-O son.}

I found a great blog post on Friday that you might like to read if you're not quite sure what's so glorious about someOne dying on a cross over 2,000 years ago. It was written specifically for Good Friday but it has everything to do with Easter, and because I could never say it so eloquently, I think I'll just link you up here if you care to read it.

And in addition to it being Easter, today also happens to be our sweet Chloe's birthday as well. My baby is now ten --they grow up far too fast! This is the first time it's ever fallen on Easter, so we celebrated her birthday yesterday...and Friday...and a little today too. She's quite happy, and I think the apparent perpetual sugar-overload isn't lessening the experience any for her either. ;)

Here's the card I made her:

I know the focal panel looks washed out...and it kinda is in person too {just not nearly as bad as it seems here}. Time was in short supply and my coloring skills were sorely lacking, but Chloe likes it so we're happy. And that's what counts, right? ;)

I used Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch for last week. It was a fun one!

Well, the sweet potatoes are about done baking, the peanut butter cup cheesecake is ready and waiting...time to head out to share the day with some wonderful friends. I don't want us to be late so I'll have to come back and add my recipe list later. ;)

Happy Resurrection Day to you all!

Thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy boosters {just doin' my part -lol!}:

Cardstock: Aqua Mist (PTI), Baby Pink, White Daisy (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: Telegraph Hill, Ashbury Park from the "Phoebe" collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps: Enchanted Lily (Pink Cat Studio)

Ink: Versafine Vintage Sepia (Tsukineko), Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger)

Other: Prismacolor pencils (Sanford), odorless mineral spirits (Mona Lisa), blending stumps (Alvin), Classic Rectangle Large, Classic Rectangle Scallop Large, Tags Trio (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug (Provo Craft), Star Dust Stickles (Ranger), Rustic twine, button (PTI), sewing machine, thread, foam mounting tape

aren't you {sweet}

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 21:52:00 +0000

Two days in a row...with one more ahead planned --I'm in shock! lol When the iron strikes, I decided I'd better go with it. ;)

Here's another card I made this week:

Chloe pointed out that I'd forgotten to add some glitter pen to the candy bouquet bow, but I didn't want to re-take the pic so you'll just have to imagine it. ;) Leave it to her to find my flaws. lol

Even though our weather can't make up its mind what season it is, spring has definitely sprung {in my heart anyway}. I {heart} these cheery colors, and I {heart} the sketch from Jen del Muro's latest Sketch For You To Try {haven't played along in quite a while, and I actually have another card in the works with this same sketch --fun stuff!}. Told ya there were some great sketches floatin' around blogland this week!

Well, I need to keep my posts short and sweet this weekend...it's our sweet little eagle-eyed flaw-finder's 10th birthday on Sunday and we're celebrating a little tonight and tomorrow so we can spend Sunday celebrating Easter. She's beside herself with excitement over the thought of becoming a "double digit," as she puts it. lol I hardly remember what that was like, though I do remember the new Schwinn 10-speed I received as my gift that year. Ironically, my hubby decided we should gift both of our youngsters with mountain bikes this year {they had both outgrown their old bikes}...and they're both thrilled! Must be genetic...though the enthusiasm for riding them definitely comes from my hubby {I'd much rather stay home and stamp -lol}. ;P

Well, I've got a LOT of cooking to do between now and tomorrow night, so I'd better git.

Hope your weekend promises to be as special and memorable as ours looks to be. Of course, as I type this, a friend of ours from high school is being memorialized in my hometown {I still have a picture of us from a dance we went to together}, so my heart is saddened, my thoughts distracted, and my prayers lifted. May you rest in peace, Jeff.

Thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy boosters {just doin' my part -lol!}:

Cardstock: White Daisy, Sweet Leaf (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: Home collection photo mats (My Mind's Eye)

Stamps: Pocket full of... from July 2009 kom, Simple Life from March 2009 kom (Unity)

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), Heavenly Blue (CTMH)

Other: Prismacolor pencils (Sanford), odorless mineral spirits (Mona Lisa), blending stumps (Alvin), Petite Oval Large and Petite Oval Scallop Large dies (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug (Provo Craft), sponge, Liquid Glass (CTMH), white grosgrain (PTI), pink ruffled ribbon (Michael's), button (Autumn Leaves), embroidery floss (DMC), slot punch (SU!), sewing machine, thread, foam mounting tape

hello {dear} friend

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 02:12:00 +0000

Hello, hello!!

I've finally been having fun stamping again and it feels sooooo good! I'm not ready to claim my mojo's back, but I think having a bit of sunshine this past weekend might've drawn it back for a bit. ;) We had some dark clouds and rain today, but hopefully that little blip in our week won't scare it away again. {I don't think I'd do well with another extended hiatus...so sad when that happens.}

So here's my first step back into the world of card making --kinda simple but I really had fun with this one. I used Card Patterns sketch 57 as my inspiration (LOTS of great sketches out there this week, and this one was no exception!):

I added a lot of Spica clear glitter pen, though it's not showing up on the butterflies so you'll just have to take my word for it. ;) But you can see it on the sentiment here:

On the focal panel {a Labels Ten die}, I used Hero Art's Clouds backgrounder {I LOVE that stamp!}, then added the cute Unity sentiment and some beautiful Martha Stewart butterflies. For the background layer, I used the Tiny Bubbles embossing folder and then sponged it a bit to carry along the light and airy, pillowy 'clouds' feeling. I also used the Clouds backgrounder on the blue card base, but it's not all that visible here.

Hope you like it. ;)

Thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy boosters {just doin' my part -lol!}:

Cardstock: Crystal Blue, Key Lime, White Daisy (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: Euphoria collection (BasicGrey)

Stamps: Clouds (Hero Arts), Could I Be Any Cuter? (Unity)

Ink: Heavenly Blue, (ret.) Orchid Bouquet, White Daisy pigment ink (CTMH)

Other: Labels Ten (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug, Tiny Bubbles embossing folder (Provo Craft), Effervescence border punch (Fiskars), Classic Butterfly punch (Martha Stewart), clear Spica glitter pen (Too Marker), sponge, Liquid Glass (CTMH), scrunched seam binding (http://www.etsy.com/shop/MemrieMare), sewing machine, thread, foam mounting tape

happy {happy} birthday

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 03:40:00 +0000

So, how are y'all doin'? I know I've been really quiet, but most of you have too. ;) Hope everyone's okay and just enjoying the sunshine and warmer weather...when it's available! It was sunny and so beautiful this week --in the upper 60s even!-- perfect weather for spring break here...but then it started snowing last night and we ended up with three inches of new snow today. ;( The blessing here is that the storm was slated to dump between 7-14", so we really got off easy. And even though it's pretty, I think most people are more than ready for SPRING! I know I am!!

Well, as you can see, my mojo's still MIA {my best excuse for not posting much this past month}, but since it's my youngest son's birthday tomorrow, I had to make him a card. And so I did. Nothing fancy and certainly not my best work, but it'll suffice for a 12-YO boy. lol

I used Card Patterns' Sketch 55 as the jumping off point. Great sketch, but I think I need to take another run at it to do it justice. Hopefully soon. {I'm ashamed to say I'm still working on my veeerrrrry belated birthday thank yous --I'm sooooo sorry, ladies--...but I am still working on them, so that's a good thing, right? Not a whole lot left to make, so that's even better!}

And a funny story to go with this one:

Before my hubby was leaving to take our son to youth group the night I was going to make his card, I pulled my hubby aside and asked him to run an errand for me after youth group was over because I was going to be making his card and needed as much time as I could have. He agreed, took my very detailed shopping list {because he'd be calling me 18 times if I didn't have it detailed enough -lol}, and off they went. I was a happy camper...er, I mean stamper...and all was right with the world.

Fast forward now to about 15 minutes after the youth group meeting ended:

My sweet and ever-so-thoughtful hubby calls to say he was about 5 minutes from home and wanted to know if it was okay for them to come home now. I panicked a little because I wasn't anywhere near done with the card {as you all know how S-L-O-W I am when I stamp, never mind when I'm having to wing it because my mojo up and left me to struggle}...and because I have to work at the kitchen table {NO privacy}...and because that meant that he was gonna be back waaaayyy earlier than I expected {like a good 45 minutes earlier!}. I asked him if he'd forgotten to go to the store, to which he proudly replied, "No. To save time, I went before I picked him up." ROFLOL!!! Of course it wasn't all that funny at the moment. Men...gotta love 'em. ;P

Anyway, I hope to be a bit more frequent with my posting here, and for those of you who still stop by, I thank you. ;)

Now I'm off to watch a movie with my sweet {and sometimes forgetful} hubby. And then I hope that at least one of us remembers to go out to his truck {brrrrrr!!!!...it'll definitely be him -lol} and get the birthday balloon that, as tradition would have it, is meant to be staring our birthday boy in the face when he wakes up in the morning. {We're both tired today, so wish us luck. -lol}

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, whatever you're doing. ;)

As always, thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy Boosters {just doin' my part -lol!}:

Cardstock: Olive, White Daisy (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: Birthday Lemon Dots, Birthday Polka Dots, Birthday Sprinkles, Aqua Dot-Os (Carolee's Creations)

Stamps: Candlelight (CTMH), Scratched Grid Backgrounder (Cornish Heritage Farms)

Ink: Cranberry, Buttercup, Goldrush, Olive (CTMH)

Other: Prismacolor pencils (Sanford), odorless mineral spirits (Mona Lisa), blending stumps (Alvin), Cranberry grosgrain, paper piercer (CTMH), mat pack (SU!), button (Autumn Leaves), embroidery floss (DMC), Scattered Straw Distress Stickles (Ranger), sewing machine, thread, foam mounting tape

doesn't get {much} better

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:48:00 +0000

than this DELICIOUS cheesecake...so I thought I'd share it with you all! ;)

Believe it or not, I found this recipe in the Feb/Mar 2010 edition of Healthy Cooking magazine. Kinda ironic, I thought. It apparently was given a makeover and so reduced the calories per serving a bit. Honestly, I'd have never noticed...it's that good! I pretty much followed the recipe as it was printed, but will just share how I made it to make it easier {for me}:

Makeover Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Crust:
1 pkg (of the 3 in a box) graham cracker crumbs
4 Tbsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
3/4 c. creamy peanut butter

Filling:
3 pkgs. (8 oz. each) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1 c. reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (12 oz.?) jar hot fudge topping, divided {I used Smucker's}
6 Reese's peanut butter cups, cut into small wedges

1. In a small bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press desired amount (approximately 1 cup or so) onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Eat the remainder. ;)

2. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees Farenheit for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. In a small pan, heat peanut butter until softened. Spread over crust to within 1 inch of edges.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in vanilla. Pour one cup of filling into a bowl; set aside. Pour remaining filling over peanut butter layer.

4. In a small pan, heat 1/4 cup hot fudge topping until thin; fold into reserved cream cheese mixture. Carefully pour over filling; cut through with a knife to swirl.

5. Return springform pan to baking sheet. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.

6. In a small pan, heat remaining fudge topping until warmed; spread over cheesecake. Garnish with peanut butter cups {in my opinion, they're not necessary...you're only adding extra calories...but it definitely makes a much prettier presentation if you use them}. Refrigerate overnight. ENJOY! ;D

I haven't used a microwave in over four years now, so I had to wash a few more pans than they called for, and I also used all organic ingredients {except for the hot fudge topping and p.b. cups}, no doubt making it MUCH healthier for you than their version. lol So if you do the same, go ahead -- feel free to indulge in a piece...or two...or three. I dare you to stop at just one! I sure couldn't. ;)

With that said, my strong recommendation is that you only make this when you're going to be sharing it. Having any of it leftover is really NOT such a good idea...unless of course you're wanting to gain a few extra pounds that week. {And I'll bet you all know exactly what I'm talking about. lol}

One other tip for ya: Look for an 8-pack of the peanut butter cups in the candy aisle. I found several different sizes/arrangements of packages of Reese's p.b. cups throughout that aisle, as well as an individual pack at the check-out counter...ALL were priced significantly higher than the 8-pack ($1).

And while you're drooling, I thought I'd go ahead and share a recipe card I made quite awhile ago {since I didn't think to get a picture of the cheesecake before we devoured it} --this is a really fun dessert to make for/with kids:

I hope you're all enjoying your weekend, and I'm hoping to actually do more than just stare at my supplies this afternoon. Maybe my mojo will take pity on me and join me for a card or two. ?? Here's hopin'....

Thanks so much for coming by to visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon...and I really hope I have something NEW to share with you {but if not, I've still got quite a few cards in the archives -lol}! ;) Until then, many blessings to you!

lotsa {eye} candy

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 04:09:00 +0000

Since my mojo seems to have gone on an {UNauthorized!} indefinite and rather untimely vacation **boo hoo hoo**, I thought I'd just pop in real quick and share some cards of others I thought you might enjoy...they sure make me smile to look at them anyway. ;)

First up is a Valentine RAK from my sweet bloggin' friend Barb. I figured it was still within a month of Valentine's Day {just barely} so it would be okay to post it, especially since there are so many bloggers out there posting Christmas cards...although it's so cute I'd post it anyway, regardless of the date. ;)

I thought the card was sweet enough, but she also included the cute little decorative tubes filled with festive M&Ms...AND those darling handmade paper flowers! Thank you soooo much, Barb! ;D

And these next cards are some of my favorites of the many wonderful ones my mom has made. I apologize in advance if some of the photos are a little fuzzy --she usually shares them with me by sending scans, so some aren't quite as sharp for some reason.

To "kick" off this little parade of sorts, here's a darling cowboy boot card:

This one actually has Stickles on the 'lake,' but it's not too visible here:

With a little creative ingeniousness, she made this for one of my little nieces when she'd ~~rambunctiously pounced on and promptly fallen off a couch and~~ broken her arm:

Here are some sweet {and glittery} birthday cards:

A couple really great 'guy' cards for ya:

I love the femininity of this one...made for my precious older daughter, Monica:

And check out this beauty, paying close attention to the GORGEOUS butterfly --you can't see it here but the wings are folded up a bit, adding some great dimension:

And my family was blessed to be the lucky recipients of these last three beautiful cards:

Thanks so much for indulging me...and if you feel so inclined, I'm sure my mom would appreciate any encouragement you care to leave her in the comment section {and just so ya know, she will be as surprised to see these posted here as you probably were --Hi, Mom! ;D}.

I had planned to include the recipe for the DELICIOUS cheesecake recipe I mentioned in my last post, but I think I'll come back tomorrow and share it with you then. You really don't want to miss out on that one...it's a definite keeper!

Oh! And don't forget to set your clocks AHEAD tonight or you may be late for church in the morning! ;) {It's my least favorite night of the year...my favorite being when we get to FALL back and nab that elusive extra hour of sleep!}

Thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. In the meantime, I'm {not so}patiently waiting for my mojo to get bored of being on vacation and return home to me. Until then, many blessings to you!

{written} words

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 18:34:00 +0000

My oldest son {and first child} has developed a real passion for the written word --whether reading/studying famous works of literature, doggedly pursuing a career teaching writing to college students, or penning his own short stories {and personal notes in cards that never fail to either make me cry or laugh out loud}, he loves it! And, oh, how I love him.

Well, it's his 24th birthday today (already?!} and I thought this image would be perfect for him {thanks for the reminder, Mom!}...even though the finished card doesn't resemble your typical birthday card. And it's kinda simple.

But since I baked and sent him his favorite birthday cake, I doubt he'll be thinkin' too much about the card, so I'm okay with that. ;P

The design was inspired by this card Laurie Schmidlin shared a little bit ago. Of course her card is waaaaay cuter...but for a guy card, I'm good. ;)

I got to make a couple cards yesterday {it's a rare thing, but I LoVe days like that!!!}, which is a good thing since I won't have time to stamp this weekend. In between birthdays and Valentine cards, I'm slowly getting made my thank-you cards made...thanks so much for your patience, ladies. ;)

It's snowing here, so today I'm going to stay indoors spending a good portion of the day watching the Olympics from my rocker situated right next to the fireplace, drinking hot tea. Oh, and in between laundry and meals for today, I'll be cleaning the house, preparing dinner and a Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake {from "Healthy Cooking" magazine -LOL!!!} for tomorrow because we're having some wonderful friends over after church! All except for havin' to clean the house...I'm excited!! ;)

Hope your weekend will be one you enjoy!

Thanks so much for taking the time to come and visit me here --I really appreciate it, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy Boosters {just doin' my part -lol!}:

Cardstock: Smokey Shadow --my latest addiction, Summer Sunrise (Papertrey Ink), Vanilla Cream (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: "Daydreams" and "Life's Journey" collections (K&Company)

Stamps: books from Hodge Podge of Happiness (Unity)

Ink: Black Onyx Versafine (Tsukineko), Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger)

Other: Small and Large Classic Rectangle dies (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug (Provo Craft), grosgrain, sponge (CTMH), Prismacolor pencils (Sanford), odorless mineral spirits (Mona Lisa), blending stumps (Alvin), Rustic jute, button (Papertrey Ink), Crafter's Pick "The Ultimate" adhesive (API), sewing machine, thread, foam mounting tape

{100} thanks

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:54:00 +0000

I made this late last night and if I can get this posted in time, I think I'll be flyin' in just in time to add this to the other contenders over at Taylor's blog. I nearly forgot, but I just had to try!! She's celebrating her 100th sketch and is giving away a few sweet prizes. Her stamps are soooo cute and I'm on too-tight a financial leash this year, so it'd sure be awesome to win some! Her sketches are always really great too --did you enter?

Not sure why, but the center pearl along the bottom looks a different color in the pic...it's really the same as the other two. And, no, you're not seeing things...I did use the same patterned paper as I did in the card shared in my last post. I thought I was going to be using both of the same patterned papers for this one, but the card ended up morphing on me {as so many of them do} and I went with just the pink. Not quite the ideal color match, but for some reason I kinda liked the contrast. But then again, it was really late. lol

Well, time's a tickin'...the kids will be wanting their Friday morning special in a little bit...chocolate chip pancakes --or maybe they'll choose German Pancakes today-- and I need to get this posted and linked up if I want a chance at winning some darling stamps. ;)

OH! And speaking of winning some darling stamps --I have to give a BIG shout out to my blogging friend Patti, who was wonderfully blessed when she WON THE MOTHERLOAD OVER AT PAPERTREY INK earlier this week {the announcement is still on their home page --check it out}! I was soooo happy and excited for her, I got lightheaded when I read the INCREDIBLE news {guess it's a good thing I didn't win, or I might've hurt myself -lol!}!! Congrats again, Patti!!

Hope you have a happy Friday! ;)

Thanks so much for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy Boosters {just doin' my part-lol!}:

Cardstock: Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink), Hollyhock, Baby Pink (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: "Happy" Floral from Tres Belle Ooh La La collection (My Mind's Eye)

Stamps: Thankful Accents --one of my very favorites! (Verve)

Ink: Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger), Hollyhock (CTMH), Black Onyx Versafine (Tsukineko)

Other: Classic Scallop Circle large and small (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug (Provo Craft), circle cutter (Fiskars), Doily Lace border punch (Martha Stewart), Blush pearls (Kaiser), crochet trim (May Arts), ribbon (Papertrey Ink), sponges (CTMH), sewing machine, thread, Crafter's Pick "The Ultimate" adhesive (API), pop dots

Hop(e) for Haiti blog hop {it's here!}

noreply@blogger.com (stampmonkey) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:55:00 +0000

Hello! I'm soooo glad you stopped by today!

Welcome to Skipping Stones Design's Blog Hop(e) for Haiti. If you just happened upon my blog today, you’ll want to go back to the beginning at Skipping Stones Design. You should have come from the multi-talented Erin's blog.

As a company, we wanted to do something to give back to the people who have been so devastated by the Haitian Earthquake. So we thought what better way than to invite some of our favorite stampers to join us in this cause. Each card you see on the blog hop today will be auctioned on E-bay with all proceeds going to the Red Cross in support of the Haitian Relief Effort (please check the Skipping Stones Design Website for the link to the auction). 100% of the proceeds of the Ebay auction and $2.00 from every stamp set purchased from February 16 - 22 will be donated to the Red Cross. We know that we can make a difference.

For my contribution, I used the beautiful Healing Wings. This set is so pretty with three different butterflies and several versatile sentiments --I love it!

Thank you for stopping by and your next blog to hop is that of the sweet and talented Sarah.

But WAIT!! Before you go, how about a prize? In addition to the fabulous eye candy, we have decided to hide a prize somewhere along the hop! There will be a few pre-release sets up for grabs hidden along the blog hop. The fun part is...we're not telling you on whose blog it is! So as you hop, make sure you leave comments on every post so you have a chance to win!! ;D

And if there's a break somewhere along the way, a master list will be at the Skipping Stones Design and at Sparkle and Bling.

Thanks again for the visit, and I hope you'll stop by again soon. Until then, many blessings to you!

Economy Boosters (just doin' my part -lol!):

Cardstock: Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink), Hollyhock (CTMH)

Patterned Paper: "Happy Floral" from the Tres Belle Ooh La La collection (My Mind's Eye), NW Addie Diecut Scallop (Making Memories)

Stamps: Healing Wings (Skipping Stones Design)

Ink: Black Onyx Versafine (Tsukineko), Hollyhock (CTMH)

Other: buttons, Rustic cream twine (Papertrey Ink), ribbon (May Arts), opaline designer half pearls (BasicGrey), Pearl Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels), Star Dust Stickles (Ranger), Pitch Black Spica glitter pen (Too Marker), sewing machine, thread, Crafter's Pick "The Ultimate" adhesive (API), glue dots