My Masterpiece

Good morning! Yes, it is. A good one, that is. Baby just took a long (1 hr, 15min) nap, and I got to stamp 2 cards! For those of you keeping tabs on me, YES, I did clean the kitchen yesterday before I stamped. Today I will be doing a little more baby proofing, now that my stamping is done. Both cards were done from sketch challenges on SCS. I find that having a sketch to work from is easier for me when I'm in a time crunch... I don't spend so much time trying to figure out where to put all the different elements... but because I pick the stamps, papers, and embellishments, I still feel like it is "my" card.


This first one has me going back to pink and brown, always a favorite for me. I used August's kit of the month from Unity. LOVE this kit!

This one I used colors I don't use often, but they were on my table already cut to the right size, basically, so I just went with it. It turned out okay. I don't love it, but I like it.

This last picture is my masterpiece. THE BABY! Not the highchair tray artwork. I can't take credit for that! :-)

Have a great day, and happy stamping!

Candy and More Candy

Today is Monday, right? I sure hope so, because it has felt like a Monday ALL DAY LONG, starting at 5am. Baby is getting his top teeth, and doesn't sleep well while teething. (who would?) Baby not sleeping well = Mommy not sleeping well. I should probably be in bed now, but I'm going to squeeze out a bit of alone time before bed. I must have some balance, right?

I actually stamped two things today, both in a rush, because I wasn't sure how long his naps would last. I also did it instead of cleaning the kitchen, which means I will HAVE to clean tomorrow before I do any stamping at all! Bad girl!

This first project was the technique challenge over at SCS today. It was super easy, and look how cute it turned out! There are directions to print out and everything... go try it!


The next picture is a card I made with Unity's August Kit of the Month, Remember Happiness. This is such a cute kit! I love the images--they are all so sweet. I actually used a scrap of the acetate from my first project, ran it through the Cuttlebug with Swiss Dots, and think it is a pretty cool background! I put Crystal Effects on the jars, too, to make them look like glass. This was such a fun card to make!


This last picture is what the baby does for exercise over and over and over. Of course, one of us is always right behind him. You can see dh's shirt on the top left--he ducked behind the wall quickly while I took the picture. You would think repeated stair climbing would tire him out enough that he would sleep all night, wouldn't you? You would, but you'd be wrong. :-(


Well, that's all for me tonight, peeps! Go have your little marshmallow-y selves a nice evening, "k"?? Happy Stamping!

A REAL Post for Today!

Hi there!

Here is another card. I love pink and green together. The scalloped mat behind the tree is actually lots of individual circles placed to look like a scalloped oval. I won't be doing that again, because I now have oval nesties! Wahoo! This are stamps from Unity's July kit of the month. Love it!


I don't have any pictures of the baby walking yet, but this one is pretty cute, huh? He popped another tooth last night (yes, I'm STILL tired) --on top this time. He's a doll. We did his nine month pictures yesterday, and he was such a little cutie!


Happy Stamping, friends!

Jessica

Excuses, Excuses

Good morning! Lost the hard drive the other day, so I have to re-install photoshop and upload my stamping pictures again. I will try to do it today, so I can get a new post on here! Meanwhile, in other news... the baby started walking this week! Whoah! How is that possible already? He still only takes 8-10 steps before he plops down to crawl, but it is pretty exciting! He's so proud of himself. I'll also try to get a picture of him on here today. Check back!

Playing Catch Up

We had a fun weekend at the lake with my parents. Traveling is hard on a body, and I'm glad to be back! The baby was cute, as usual. He still has a bit of a cold, but his sleep is slowly getting better. I hope I didn't just jinx us by saying that. I'm pretty sure my parents won't love that I'm sharing this picture . . . but look what I found one morning at the lake when I went looking for the baby! How sweet!


I stamped like crazy today during one of his naps. I had to finish all the Anni-VERVE-sary sketches. I was behind from being gone all weekend. I will pick just one to share today, so I can stockpile the rest for future posts.


The layout is from a sketch. This is pretty simple as far as stamping is concerned--just the butterfly and the sentiment. I like simple! Happy Stamping!



CARD RECIPE
Stamps: Verve
Cardstock: Regal Rose, Basic Black, Whisper White, pattern (?)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Regal Rose
Accessories: Black grosgrain, corner rounder (for scalloped edge)

Blissful Sunday

Good morning! Bliss on a Sunday to me would be going to church and hearing an uplifting message that will sustain me through the week, then having a yummy family lunch out, then lounging around all day with my family, doing not much of anything at all. How about you? What would your Blissful Sunday be like?

Or, the original inspiration for this post title was this Bliss Candy Box. I have had this idea rolling around in my head ever since I saw this "Bliss" stamp. I knew it needed to be paired with those new Bliss chocolates, which, by the way are YUM-O!!!!

This is another fun secret sister gift. I'm just hoping the chocolates don't melt on their way to my secret sis!

Hey, have a blissful Sunday, and happy stamping!

Sweet Stuff

Good morning, friends!

I had to make this adorable candy slider for my secret sister. Have you seen these before? You probably have... they are so easy to make! I think I am going to have to do them for a stamp camp again this fall. You can make them to fit anything rectangular... just have to change the measurements!


I'm pretty sure my secret sis doesn't read my blog, but even if she does, I guess she doesn't know yet that I'm her "big sis", so she won't know these are hers!

Have a great weekend, and happy stamping!

All Black and White

Good morning! I hope you have had a great week! I have. Here is one of my favorite things that I have stamped this week. The layout was a sketch challenge for Verve's Anniv-VERVE-sary celebration over on SCS. I love the simplicity of black and white. It is so crisp and clean!


I'm still anxiously awaiting the new SU! catalog! I always enjoy seeing what is new! I'll be back to post my thoughts on the new catty once I have had it in my hands for a few days!

Take care, and happy stamping!

I LOVE My Husband & My Friend Kelly!

Good morning! Happy Thursday! My dh is so nice... for two nights now, he has taken full baby duty (WHILE the baby is sick!) so that I can catch up on sleep. He falls asleep very easily, and it takes me at least half an hour, sometimes more, EVERY time I go to sleep... so if I'm up twice with the baby during the night, I'm actually losing up to 2 or 3 hours of sleep during that time. So I LOVE my dh for doing this for me!!!

This is for another Anni-VERVE-sary sketch, which was to do a tall, skinny card. Not tough for me, since I've been stuck on a very similar layout myself for weeks! I don't use Lovely Lilac very often, but I was inspired by this cool S.E.I. striped paper.



Oooh.... I got the new SU! catty in my hands last night! My good friend Kelly got her box and brought one over to me almost immediately! We looked through it together quickly. I liked what I saw! I am already working on my wish list! THANK you so much, Kelly!

Hey, happy stamping!

Too Early for Snow

Good Afternoon. Kind of a late start today. We have a sick baby on our hands again. Last night dh took the whole night, so I could get a little rest, and I took over at about 5:30am until about 11:00am when dh woke up. I actually did stamp a card while he took a nap, though! I needed to, for my sanity! Here it is:


It is for the Verve Anni-VERVE-sary challenge #6 on Splitcoast. I actually didn't use Verve stamps on this one, but only because I had to try my snowflake embossing powder, so I needed a winter set. So I used Jolly Little Winter from Unity. I guess it is not too early for snow if it is on a card! :-)

I am still waiting on my Stampin' Up! catalog. I can't wait to see all the new goodies!

Happy Stamping!

Tri-fold and TIRED!!!!

Good morning. Once again I was up at 5:15, with only a few hours of sleep. I love my baby, but being so exhausted that I have to make an real effort NOT to be grumpy--that is getting old very quickly.

So I found one more Dirty Challenge from SCS to share with you. I don't love what I did with the challenge, but I love the IDEA. It is a tri-fold card with a magnetic closure. Take a look!


I'll have something better to share tomorrow! I'm too tired right now. I will be napping shortly, when I put the baby down. Happy Stamping!

HUGE Stamp Liquidation Sale!!!

This is going to be a long post, so if you aren't interested in seeing what stamp sets I have available, just skip to the next post.

Okay, ladies! I'm clearing out my collection to make room for new things! (Like the baby, and all his things!) I will mail Priority Mail only, so if you are ordering one set, it will be $5 shipping and handling (to cover the $4.80 Flat Rate), and if you are ordering multiple sets that will fit in the next size box, it will be $10 (to cover the $9.80 flat rate). If you order bunches of sets, we'll have to wait to see what shipping will be.

If you are interested in any of these sets, please email me at jezirus@lycos.com (do not leave a comment if you want to buy). Tell me which sets you want, and your name/address. First come, first serve. I will then send you a Paypal invoice. Sorry, I can't take anything other than Paypal.

These are all retired Stampin' Up! stamp sets, with normal wear. Only a very few of them have staining, but that doesn't affect the stamping! If they are new or missing a stamp, I have noted that. If you are wondering what a set looks like, try looking in the Splitcoast Gallery, here. If you scroll down a bit you will see a section listed by alphabetic order. See if the set you are interested in is there. There are far too many sets I'm selling for me to take and upload pics of them all. The ones in gray are already spoken for. Once I've sold a set, I'll remove it from the list.

If you have any questions, please email me! Happy Shopping!

$5 Stamp Sets
Around and About
Around the Block
Basket of Blossoms
Big Blossom
Borders Mini
Burst into Bloom
Delightful Doodles
Flannel Plaid (background without plastic case)
French Flair (background without plastic case)
Fresh Fillers
Handmade with Love
Little Shapes
Perfect Ending
Say it Simply (1 missing--only $3)
Sculpted Stlyle
Stippled Stencils (I have 2 of these)
Stipple Plaid Background
Sweet Talk

$10 Stamp Sets
Aged to Perfection
A Lifetime of Happiness
A Light Heart (red rubber)
All I Have Seen (I have 3 of these)
All Natural
All Occasions
All Year Cheer III (3 missing stamps: "good luck", "Happy Halloween" and "Happy Thanksgiving")
Along the Same Lines
Artfully Asian
Artifacts
Autumn Apparitions
Be Happy
Best Blossoms (I have 2 of these)
Blooming with Happiness
Bold Shapes
Botanical Garden
Both Way Blossoms
Brides and Babies
Brushstroke Alphabet
Bundle Up
Carte Postale
Circle of Friendship
Cold Play
Contemporary Collection
Crazy for Christmas
Eat Cake
Event Full
Fantastic Foliage
Flower Garden (new, unmounted)
For a Friend (new, unmounted)
Framed Fun
Friendship Grows
Fun Filled
Girl Talk
Happy Harmony
Happy Hearts
Happy Occasions
Holiday Blocks
Holiday Happiness
Lexicon of Love (I have 5 of these)
Like it a Latte
Little Layers Plus (new, unmounted)
Little Pieces
Love Notes
Love Ya Bunches
Madonna and Child
Mon Ami
Natural Beauty
Noteworthy (new, unmounted)
Occasionally
Painted Posies
Paint Prints (I have 3 of these)
Party Punch
Perfect Presentation (new, unmounted)
Petal Pushers
Polka Dots and Paisley
Provencal
Quick and Cute
Quotes to Live By
Reverse Prints
Santa and Friends (Just for You series)
Sidekick Sayings
Simple Florals
Simple Sayings
Sketch an Event
So Many Sayings (new, unmounted)
So Very
Sparkling Season
Sparkling Summer
Spring Things
Springtime Stems (new, unmounted)
Suitable for Framing (new, unmounted)
Sweet of You
The Art of Life
Too Terrific Tags
Unfrogettable
Very Punny
Warmest Regards
Watercolor Minis
Winged Things
Wreath of Roses
You Touch My Heart

$15 Stamp Sets
All Year Cheer II
Basket Full of Fun
Best Friends Alpha Upper
Cheery Chat
Crayon Kids
Greetings Galore
Headline Alpha
It's Snow Time
It's Your Birthday
Love Matters
Nice and Easy Notes
Sew Seasonal
Shapes and Shadows
Sporting Goods
Stipple Celebrations
Time Well Spent
Watercolor Garden

Thirty-four Years Young Today!

Happy Birthday Me! I got to sleep in a little today. I don't know what we are going to do today, but I know dh is making me a chocolate cake-yum!!

I think these are my last two Dare to Get Dirty challenges. The first one was to "make a scene" which I thought I would not be good at. I think it turned out okay. I stamped the penguin, but sponged/drew the sky, grass and ice. I'm not sure if you can tell, but I put Crystal Effects on the ice to make it look shiny.


The second card was a challenge to rip/tear/distress. I am not a shabby chic style stamper . . . I usually stick with clean and simple. Amazingly, I actually like how this turned out! Of course, part of it is the awesome quote! (from Unity) I just gave this card to a friend last night. She loved it!


This last picture is of the baby trying to keep cool by holding a cold water bottle. He's reclined in his stroller, with his feet up on the front bar, just hanging out. It was in the 90s at the Irish Festival. This was towards the end of the night, when he was a bit fussy, which is why he's plugged!! :-)


If I stamp today, great. If not, great. I plan to have a nice day with my little family. Have a great day with your family too! Happy Stamping, friends!

Pink, Pink, and More Pink!

Evidently, pink is my favorite color. I didn't know that. In fact, if you had asked me what my favorite color was, I probably would have told you it was green. But, as I don't seem to be able to make any cards without pink in them lately, I suspect my favorite color is, after all, PINK! At least now I know! :-)

This is one of my last few Dirty challenges to share with you. I combined two challenges for this one: a sketch (layout) and to use pink, black and faux stitching.


This next one was for Verve's Anni-VERVE-sary Sketch challenge #2. I totally love Julee's sketches. They make it so easy to turn out a beautiful card! And it is pink again!


This picture is a close up of the butterfly, so you can see I made it 3D! Cool, huh? I just stamped it again, cut it out, and attached it only at the body, folding the wings up in the air. (After, of course, I had glittered the heck out of it!)


Well, I'm off to a friend's house for a birthday dinner for both dh and me (his was in June, mine is tomorrow!) She's making lasagna for us! Yum-O!! I did stamp a bit this morning--some goodies for my Splitcoast Secret Sis... I'm thinking I will post pictures in a couple of days. On the small chance that she reads my blog (doubtful) she wouldn't know she's getting them anyway, until she gets her reveal package!

Happy Sunday and Happy Stamping!!!

Two Posts in One Day???!!!

I must be crazy! Naaahhh, but I just snapped the cutest picture that I couldn't wait to share. I had to sneak into his room, and run the risk of waking him with the flash (I know, okay, I AM crazy!) But after you see this picture, you'll know why I had to do it.


I mean, come on!!! Look at his cute little behind up in the air! He's been asleep like that for an hour and a half now! Soooooo sweet! This next picture is him trying spaghetti for the first time tonight. He kinda sorta liked it. He's kinda sorta been refusing to eat baby food and not too interested in any kind of food at all except for dry cereal. But we got him to try a couple of noodles!


Here is a new card I stamped today, using Verve stamps for their Anni-VERVE-sary. Check out the link on the left if you want to see their super cute stamps. Julee has amazing sketches for you to try every Monday. I was doing them every week--the Mojo Monday sketches. I'll have to get back into doing them.


Okay. That's it for today. I will try to post some pics from the Irish Fest tomorrow, as well as my last couple Dirty challenges. Meanwhile, Happy Stamping!