New Favorite Past Time... UGH!!!

This is Evan's new favorite pasttime. THROWING! I swear this boy is going to be a pitcher for a MAJOR LEAGUE team someday. He can EVEN throw several blocks at once! *This is when mommy really can't help but smile, because he is so stinkin' cute and he's just having such a good time.*

While Evan is great at throwing but not so good at picking up. Surprise. Surprise! What kid likes to pick up their toys?! LOL That's what mommy's are for right? UGH!

Graduation Cards

I know I CASED these cards from SOMEWHERE, but I can't find the person after hours of searching through pictures and emails.... If this looks familiar, please leave a comment and let me know where I saw these. A challenge maybe?!

I love the rounded corner and the ribbon and I wanted to make them for the 2 graduations we have this weekend.

Summer Splendor MDS

I couldn't help myself... after seeing Patty Bennett's gorgeous Summer Splendor cards that she made with My Digital Studio, I HAD to go downstairs and give them a try. I downloaded Summer Splendor 12 x 12 paper and Presto Patterns paper for My Digital Studio. It took a little time to get everything just so but I love the results.
(I just printed them out on my home computer onto Whisper White Cardstock.)



This card uses a sentiment from For All You Do and is matted in Garden Green, Certainly Celery with a Rose Red base.

This card uses a sentiment from Thoughts and Prayers and is matted in Night of Navy, Bashful Blue and is on a Whisper White base.

This is my personal favorite. AND I don't usually like purples! This card uses a sentiment from All Holidays and is matted with Elegant Eggplant and Lavendar Lace with a Whisper White base.

This last card uses a sentiment from All Holidays and is matted on Chocolate Chip and Tangerine Tango with a Crushed Curry base.

Elements of Style/Challenge 33

Ahhhh Tuesday again! Doesn't it seem like the weeks are just flying by? In less than two weeks, summer vacation starts for my girls. I'm so excited to have them home for the summer. They are great girls and I enjoy having them around during the day. Although this year will be a little different, Dani will be working this summer. She got a great job this spring helping out on a hobby farm/stable. She LOVES it! She is definitely an outdoor girl w/ a strong love for animals.



Anyway, back to TUESDAY.... (sorry my mind wanders off sometimes and that is usually followed by much babbling)....today there is a great sketch challenge over at Krista's Cards and Things Challenge Blog. I was excited to play along this week--I haven't been doing much stamping and a great sketch = a great excuse to pull out my new stamp set, Elements of Style from the Summer Mini Catalog.


Here's my card: (I used the new Vanilla Smooch Spritz on it and got a little carried away, but it is very sparkly.)




Card Recipe:
Stamps: Element of Style
Cardstock: Kraft, Soft Suede
Ink: Soft Suede, Real Red, Garden Green
DSP: Thoroughly Modern
Accessories: Vanilla Smooth Spritz, Real Red Satin Ribbon, sponge, Real Red Brads, Mat Pack and Paper Piercer, Aqua Painter, Coluzzle (oval), dimensionals.

From Our Hearts

I went through my stash of cards in basement and decided it was time to thin out old swap cards, outdated cards and well just all the excess that has been building up.

I heard of a great organization called From Our Hearts (http://www.fromourhearts.info) in my LateNightStampers group. They send thousands of cards over to our troops so that the soldiers can stay in touch w/ their families. If you interested in sending out cards for the troops, please don't hesitate. It's such a great feeling to know that these cards will be used by those fighting for freedom.

After weeding through I came up with 125 cards to send to From Our Hearts. They also told me never to worry about a card being 'not good enough'. They have a great group of ladies in Topeka Kansas that revamp them.

Just doing a little INVENTORY....

Evan loves unloading my baking drawer almost each and every day. Most days he takes out each and every piece. Once upon a time it made me upset that I spent so much time repacking and often times rewashing every thing in this drawer. Now I can't help but smile when I see my baking pans scattered across the floor, because I know that Evan is enjoying doing a little inventory. :)

Bev's Bag

Bev Penick contacted me and asked if I would consider doing a custom order bag for her using Stampin' Up!'s Scallop Square die and the Big Shot. I agreed, but warned her that I am anything but a quilter/sewer/seamstress.
Bev sent me beautiful fabric to construct her bag. The red fabric was gorgeous in real life--heavy and textured and the other fabrics were bold and bright. The rich colors definitely made a statement.

I finished Bev's bag up and sent it off to her.
What do you think?

Today's Forecast

Today it is sunny and warm in Wisconsin. I have been busy hanging out LOADS and LOADS of laundry. My daughters cleaned there bedrooms and blessed me with enough laundry to keep me busy today. While hanging out clothes I noticed that the dandelions are in full bloom! :) Our lawnmower has decided that it is going to work part-time so our crop of dandelions are THRIVING! Hopefully soon, my husband will fix the lawnmower or break down and replace it. Between dandelions this month and asian beetles last month, I feel like we are being invaded!

This week is another color challenge over at Krista's Cards & Things Challenge Blog. This week is a perfect excuse to use your Cottage Wall dsp! *wink*

Here's my card for this week:

I used up some of my Cottage Wall scraps and some odds and ends off my Stampin' table. I love the little curly label punch tab sticking out w/my message stamped on it! :)

Card Recipe:

Cardstock: Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulence, Whisper White

DSP: Cottage Wall

Ink: Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulence

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes, For All You Do

Accessories: Circle #2, Circle Scissors Plus, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Curly label punch, Big Shot, Rhinestone Brads, Scallop Border Punch, Embossing Folder

Rainy Tuesday

It's a rainy morning in Wisconsin. It's the kind of day that's great for curling up on the couch with a good book. A great movie would be another good day to spend part of the day, but I think ALL of us agree that the best thing to do on a rainy day like today is to STAMP! :)

To help you get your mojo going Krista over at Cards & Things Challenges has posted a new color challenge and BELIEVE me it was a challenge. Do you see a card when you look at these colors?

If you do, please share them! We'd love to see your creation!

I made a masculine card for teenage boys. I have 3 nephews and I have NEVER made them a card since they turned about 10 years old, because let's face it guy cards are a challenge, but a teenage guy card is nearly impossible. Stampin' Up! did a GREAT thing when they introduced Extreme Elements and all the extreme sport stamps. KUDOS SU! If you have boys in your life, you can't go wrong with these stamps!

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Extreme Elements, On Your Birthday, Extreme Skateboarder

Ink: Barely Banana, Sahara Sand, Night of Navy

Cardstock: Barely Banana, Sahara Sand, Night of Navy, Whisper White

DSP: Pattern Pack III (Night of Navy-grid)

Accessories: Small Star Punch, paper piercer, mat pack, gold brads

My Digital Studio Stationery

Happy Mother's Day! Today, I did something I have been wanting to do for myself since I bought My Digital Studio. I wanted my own personal stationery to send a quick note along with my girls to school, drop a quick few lines to a friend or a short letter along with a customer order.

I did purchase and download the Sweet Pea paper--isn't it sweet? I am crossing my fingers that the new Idea Book & Catalog has something similar when it comes out in July!

I printed out my stationery and cut it apart and I am very pleased w/ the end result. I will take pictures and add them to my post later. Right now, I'm going to the basement and STAMP! That's my Mother's Day present this year. I didn't want 'things' I wanted a couple hours of DAD TIME for the kids. *WINK* If you are a mom you know what I'm saying! :)

Blog Candy Winner!!!

My daughter, Riley-Kate picked a number this morning before she left for school. The winner is Deb.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Royal Blog Tour":

I Also think the desk set is my favorite. Really enjoyed everything on your blog.

lamadd@homesc.com
Deb

Congratulations, Deb. I will be contacting you! :)

More Thoughts and Prayers

Good Morning! I have had the most wonderful time being involved in the Royal Blog Tour. I'm sad to see it end, but excited to share w/ you my latest creation. I had an extra stamped image from the Thoughts and Prayers stamp set leftover after the tour and rather than toss it aside, I thought I would use it for today's Cards & Things Challenge.

Cards & Things Challenge #30 is a sketch challenge and ohhh what a fun one! :)

If you would like to play along this week, jump on over to Cards & Things Challenge Blog and add your card. I would love to see what you came up with for this sketch.

Here's my card. I have to admit, I used some of the scraps on my table.... I hope you don't mind....

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Great Friend (Sentiment), Thoughts and Prayers

Cardstock: Whisper White, Coral Cameo (soon retiring STOCK UP!), So Saffron and Old Olive

DSP: Cottage Wall

Ink: Old Olive

Stampin' Write Markers: Old Olive Coral Cameo, So Saffron

Accessories: Lattice Embossing Folder (AVAILABLE now in SU! Summer Mini Catalog, Paper Piercer, Mat Pack, So Saffron Brads, So Saffron Ribbon (NLA/SAB '09), Eyelet Border Punch

Baroque Motifs Layout

I came across this bible verse today and thought it was perfect.
I used MDS to get this layout. I love the fact that I can change my mind 400 times and not waste one scrap of paper. This layout started out with a kraft background and then certainly celery. I have had the picture matted in brocade blue, kraft and finally whisper white. I font was made smaller and larger and changed entirely no less than a half dozen times.
While you may think of My Digital Studio as a big investment....lol... I think of it as a big money saver when you are as indecisive as me. :)