Awesome link to blog candy!

Wow! Stephanie has some awesome candy over on her blog. She's gotten over 25,000 hits and has reached 100 followers! Go take a look at her inspiring blog, and enter for the great blog candy, too!

Pink and Brown

I don't think I ever posted these... sorry the pictures aren't very clear. I was going through a pink and brown phase a couple of weeks ago!



Well, I'm officially no longer a Stampin' Up! demo... it feels pretty good!!! Maybe someday I will pick it back up again, but for now, it is the right decision.

Here's my little guy:


He's taken to trying on hats when we are shopping!! He looks like a little Sinatra or something!!!

Simple and Sweet and Some News...

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later... I'm going back to work in a few weeks. I have a wonderful lady to watch my boy, along with a couple other cutie pie kids. We were just out there again today to visit, and he absolutely loves it there. I can't believe he is 20 months old already, nearly 21 months!!! I'm so grateful that I was able to spend that many months at home with him, when I originaly thought I'd only have about 3. He has just started saying "I love you" which sounds like "oh-vee..." and calling us "honey." :-)


I am also giving up my Stampin' Up! demo-ship... it is just too much of a struggle for me to make my minimums, and when I buy stuff myself, it ends up sitting there, unused. I want to keep stamping, I just don't want the pressure of being a demo anymore. Any of you who might be former customers of mine, if you want, drop me an email, and I'll hook you up with a new demo. Thanks for your support all of these years!! Someday I may pick it back up again, but for now this is the right decision. I'm also going to purge my stamping supplies and get them down to a manageable amount. I will list the items I have for sale here soon, so if you are looking for some goodies, check back!!! I'm hoping to keep stamping when I can, and so will blog occasionally, but probably not as often as you'd like!!

I did stamp a couple of really simple cards today, one for a friend of my dh whose wife had a little boy, and one for a friend of mine who is due soon with a little girl. I used an old Wordsworth clear set that is getting old and brittle, but still worked for these sweet cards!!!

Win $1,000 at TheCuttlebugSpot.com!

Want to win $1000 in scrapping supplies?? I just found out that The Cuttlebug Spot is having a contest - "The Journey to 1,000"! They are trying to reach 1,000 followers by the end of July and need your help. To enter all you have to do is go to their site, sign up as follower and complete a few easy steps and you could win a $1,000 gift certificate to Custom Crops (www.CustomCrops.com)! GO NOW and check it out at www.TheCuttlebugSpot.com

What's Black and White and Red all Over??

Why, this of course!!


Stamps: Unity
CS: Red, Black, and White (SU!)
Paper: polka dots by ????, page from a magazine
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Ribbon: from Hobby Lobby (I think?)
Bling: Kaisercraft black gems

Ssssssomebody Stop Me!!!

I can't quit doing that pleated ribbon and stitching thing...


Oh yeah, and I also suddenly seem to be addicted to Kraft, in case you hadn't noticed!!! :-)

Stamps: Unity
CS: Kraft and Kiwi Kiss (SU!)
Ink: Tempting Turquoise and Green Galore
Ribbon and Buttons: from JoAnn's

Sew Crazy!!!

I went SEW crazy today!!!

First, I crocheted an adorable little flower using Nichole's pattern. Love this pattern--thank you Nichole!!! The great thing about it is you can create a little flower from any color embroidery thread you want--so you can be all matchy-matchy with any patterned paper you like!!!

Then I went a little overboard with my sewing machine on a card I was making . . . once I started I just couldn't stop!!! I think I did too much, but I'm pretty happy with the general idea of the card. The layout is from Jen's Sketch for You to Try.


Stamp: Unity from May KOM
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Cardstock: Kraft from SU!
Paper: Reagan's Room Collection from Heidi Grace
Ribbon, thread, button, embroidery floss for flower all from JoAnn's.

Twice in One Day??

Wowza!!! Somebody stop me!! I actually stamped TWO cards today!! This one is a Mojo Monday sketch and uses a Unity monochromatic challenge. I think I would like this one better if I did it in red. Perhaps I will remake it tomorrow. Enjoy!

2 Sketches 4 You Card

I LOVE the sketches at 2 Sketches 4 You!!! Twice now they have pulled me out of a complete creative SLUMP!!!! True, I have been incredibly busy with my classwork for my first grad class and taking care of (playing with, really) my sweet little boy, but even when I've had a spare moment, I have not had any clue how to start stamping again. It has been a long dry spell. This morning I saw Laura's sketch 27, and just decided to jump right in. I felt inspired, I knew just the colors I wanted to use, I basically just whipped the card up from start to finish with no pausing to make decisions. I LOVE it when that happens!!! I love it even more when I actually like the finished product--and I adore this one!!! The colors are just so bright and happy. What do you think?This is my entry into the 1st Annual 2 Sketches 4 You Ultimate Card Showdown!!! Wish me luck!

Mmmm... Mmmmm... and Oops!

Had some fun making yummy lemon cream cheese cake balls this week, and stamping some fun packaging to take them to a friend of mine!! We shared them with a group of about seven of us--and they were a big hit!!! I promised to make chocolate next time.



Here is a recent pic of the babe... who is now 1 1/2!!!!! I can hardly believe it!!! He loves to go for "awks" (walks)!!! As you can see from his skinned up nose, sometimes his feet move too fast for him!!! Also, can you believe he was a year and a half before someone actually got him a noisy toy like this recorder--AND can you believe it was NOT a family member who got it for him to torture his parents with, but *I* got it for him??? I know, what was I thinking?? :-)

Unity KOM Blog Hop!

Hi!!!

So it has been MONTHS since I stamped!! And yesterday I stamped not ONE, but TWO cards, and I actually like them! It is all because of these AWESOME Unity stamps:


Both of these cards use the April Kit of the Month. This and all past kits of the month are on sale right now!!!


Hope you are enjoying the Unity blog hop!!!

Go see **Tasha** next!!!

Not Good....

I don't feel like stamping anymore.
I can't figure out what is wrong with me!!!
Any ideas???

Bunny Bags

No stamping, but I DID use punches to create these adorable little Easter treat bags for my nephews. We are going over to dye eggs with them later today. I think I'll save them until tomorrow, though, when we have Easter dinner with them too.


What do you think? I have seen many others make bunnies with the Top Note die and punches, so I did not create this idea. I used it as a topper on a little lunch bag, and I added the bunny tail! Not sure what will go inside, but rest assured, it will be something yummy!!

Have a beautiful weekend!

Two Days in a ROW!!!

I hope I can keep this up!!! It is good to have a routine, and to be able to fit some creativity into each day! Even though my dh did not care too much for yesterday's card (which is weird, because he typically loves all my cards) I did another card with the same colors. I used Julee's Mojo Monday sketch. I left off the trio of embellishments because I didn't have room. Oh well! I felt if I had tried to squeeze them in it would have looked too busy. I already am not sure if I love it or not...


I do love the colors and the stamps, but I think I used too much pattern. Oh well. I'm getting slowly back into the creative process...

Edited to add: I am looking at the Mojo Monday blog and see that my card looks an awful lot like Mary Fish's. Well, hers is MUCH nicer than mine. I feel awful, because I didn't copy it, but wanted to use this stamp set again, and now it looks like I copied her!! I didn't even see her card until today! I'm going to have to try another one, now, that is ALL my OWN!!! :-)

Bad Blogger, No Mojo

Well, I have not been able to stamp for quite some time. I just haven't had it in me. Have you ever had that happen before? Today I decided enough was enough. I grabbed the current sketch from 2 Sketches 4 You and I just started working. I've been dying to try the sewing on pleated ribbon look I've been seeing so much lately. I have no idea if this works or not, but AT LEAST I STAMPED SOMETHING!!! :-) Yay me!!!



I used Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip and Riding Hood Red as my color combo, with various patterned paper in those colors. The stamp set is "Great Friend" and is in the current mini. If you'd like more info on any of the products I used or would like to order them, please drop me a line at stampmaniac at gmail dot com!

Earlier today while trying to get the little guy to help me clean the room up (read this as Mom was crawling all over the floor, singing "clean up, clean up, everybody clean up," and putting a zillion mega-blocks and books away) this is what the smart little one decided to do:


He had a great view of his mom crawling all over the room, didn't he? :-) And luckily, he let me snap a pic before he moved.