Finally Updating My Blog

Ok...it has been a very long time...6 months is just way too long. It has been a little crazy around here, but I actually made a card! This card is for my husband as we are celebrating 16 years of marriage today. Here are the deets to the card...

Stamp Set - Loads of Love, Lovely as a Tree, a retired Heart Wheel

CS - SU! Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, Whisper White,

Ink - Black Stazon, Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Real Red, Pink Passion, Pixie Pink

Accessories - Dazzlin' Diamonds, Blender Pen,

I know I am using retired CS, but these were my favorites last year and I have so much of it. Plus, I needed something a little masculine.

I hope to be posting more great creations!

Thanks for looking!

I Have Been Tagged!!!

So I was checking out all of my SC S friends’ blogs and found out that I had been tagged! Thanks Dawn for adding me to your list! If you would like to check out Dawn’s blog, here it is. Amusing Musings & Things She always has music going…its pretty cool and she has great artwork as well!

So here it goes!!!

8 TV Shows or movies that I watch regularly:
- One Tree Hill (I know…still a teenager at heart)
- Grey’s Anatomy
- Private Practice
- ER
- American Idol (when it is on)
- Jon & Kate Plus 8 (with my girls who love it)
- The Big Bang Theory
- How I Met Your Mother

8 Things that happened yesterday
- I managed to get the girls to chorus on time
- It was payday!
- I received Happy Mail from my DSS Big Sis
- Oldest DD received letter from Grandma
- The 3 year old I watch had two potty accidents!
- Her dad was here early to pick her up!! Yeah
- Got a free pretzel from Aunt Annie’s
- SU! Shipment arrived!

8 Favorite Places to Eat
- My Cousin Maria’s when my Aunt Mary is visiting
- Outback Steakhouse
- BD Mongolian BBQ
- Friaco’s Mexican Cantina
- Puleos Grill while in Knoxville, TN
- Dean’s Grill (local place that has awesome breakfast)
- Cheesecake Factory
- Clara’s Italian Kitchen (local)

8 Things I am Looking Forward To
- Friday, the 6th…going to Nuthouse (all night of stampin)
- End of February when my parents close on their new house
- Spring Break in April so I can take my kids to see their grandparents
- SPRING…tired of the snow
- Our family vacation to Orlando…look out Mickey Mouse (June)
- Family reunion in Tennessee over 4th of July weekend
- SU! Sell-a-bration over the next two months!
- Enjoying my pool with my kids over the summer!

8 Things on my Wish List
- Big Shot
- Bubble Bath
- Clinique Happy
- Rachael Ray’s Big Orange Cookbook
- New stamps
- A desk/office chair
- Hardwood Floors
- Peace and happiness for everyone around me

8 People Tag
- Deb
- Michelle
- Holly
- Jackie
- Diane
- Sara
- Kathy
- Kim P. aka the other Kim

Stoppin' in with Some Cards!

Hey Stampers! I was able to create a few cards on Monday…just now posting them. One was a sympathy card for a customer of mine who lost her mother a few weeks ago. It didn’t turn out the way I wanted…but I wanted her to know that I was thinking of her!
I made this card using Echoes of Kindness and the same technique as the painted black card below.

The second post is from the Demo Challenge section of SCS. I would paste the link, but you have to be SU! Demo to get in there. Sorry! Anyway, it was from the Wicked Monthly Challenge that normally has a sketch challenge, color challenge, and a technique challenge. I used Just Buzzin’ By with the color challenge…to use Baja Breeze, Blush Blossom and Cameo Coral. That combo was tough! But some how I pulled it off. I hate to use to many extra colors with the color challenges so I just used Whisper White and Basic Black for my neutrals.

I hope you enjoy them. Until the next time, happy stampin’!

Painted Black Challenge

So I finally got a chance to do a Challenge Card! Woohoo! I worked on this card last night. It was Friday’s Limited Supply Challenge. Here is the link to look at the details.

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=413661
Basically the challenge was to use black as the main background to allow the images and colors to pop more. Well, I racked my brain for two days trying to decide which set and layout I wanted to use. So yesterday morning, I received a tutorial email from Michelle (here is the link to her blog) http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/. She inspired me to use this new Just Buzzin’ By set and to try a new technique as well.

The card didn’t turn out as well as I liked. There are too many lines from my brayer, but I thought I did pretty well for the first time. I also used Whisper White instead of glossy paper. I think if I had used the glossy stuff, I might have been better off. I will try that next time.

Anyway…here is the supply list:

Stamps: Stampin’ Up!© Just Buzzin’ By and Echoes of Kindness
Paper: Basic Black, Yoyo Yellow, Whisper White
Inks: Versa Mark, Basic Black, Bashful Blue, Tempting Turquoise, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder, Gold Embossing Powder, Versa Mark Pen, Brayer, Sponges, Stampin’ Up!© Markers: So Saffron, More Mustard, Apricot Appeal, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Always Artichoke, Close to Coca, Chocolate Chip, Summer Sun
Techniques: Brayer and Heat Embossing

Learning from Michelle, I dipped my stamps into versa mark then the basic black ink. Added clear embossing powder and heat set. Then I colored in all of my images. To make it so the additional colors don’t stick to the images, color the areas with versa mark pen (you need to clean it like you do with blender pens when switching colors) and heat set with clear embossing powder. After all of the images are embossed, I used the brayer in Bashful Blue at the top. Then I used it in Tempting Turquoise at the very top. Added certainly celery at the bottom the bottom to give the image some grass. Then I used a very important tool to remove excess ink…paper towel! I have learned that I need to add paper towels to the stamp cabinet. LOL I layered the card and Viola…it is finished.

What do you think? TFL!

It's 2009 and this is my 1st Post!

I know I vowed to share my art and publish on my blog more often....well life happened! My parents have officially moved to Tennessee. They are currently house hunting. I have been so behind on everything that deals with stampin' and fun! I just now took down all of the Christmas decorations and I am trying to get my house back in order. I also need to clean the stampin' area because the cable guy needed in my space to hook up all of the new cable. UGH!!!

So since I have not stamped, I thought I would share some a card I received from my Secret Sister. I love it! What a wonderful way to start out this round of Divine Secret Sisters!