Best Mom in the WHOLE WORLD

Yes, that is my title for the day. I'm the "Best Mom in the WHOLE WORLD"! You may be wondering how one acquires this title. You make them a rag bag! Although with a 12 year old girl nothing is guaranteed. It's pretty touchy and depends on the day. I step softly and carry a big stick (for my own protection) most days. Honestly, Riley Kate is pretty good and asks for little which is why this is so much fun.

Riley Kate LOVES Scooby Doo. For years and years now we have collected all things Scooby. I thought it would be a short phase--I was wrong. Anyway, last Sunday Riley Kate rode along w/ me to JoAnn Fabrics and found this cute Scooby material. She instantly wanted it and I have been promising her that after I got my 100 things to do list complete, I would make her a bag.

Well you know what, those 100 things to do are still on the list and I have one happy little girl. I made her own rag bag. She's already talking about gym clothes and sleep overs and all the things she can use her bag for. Thank goodness it's washable!

Here's a close up of Riley Kate's material. He's kinda cute if you like animated talking Great Danes. Sorry for the thread pieces. It was fresh off the sewing machine. :)

Here's the outside:
Here's the inside:

Sew Sweet Scoops

It's time for another sketch challenge this week over at Krista's Card & Things Challenge Blog. It's a really sweet little sketch. I love sketches like this--there are endless possibilities. You can definitely tell if you stop over there. Everyone on the design team did something entirely different. :) I flipped and flopped it--ANYTHING goes!

OH and I finally did it! I don't know what I was waiting for, honestly...

I stitched my card on my sewing machine!! It was so quick and easy. I think it added a lot to this little card. I can't wait to stitch some dsp to my cardstock. Ohhh the possibilities

Riley Kate chose the number 13 for my card. Her friends will all be turning 13 in a couple months. I think she has someone in mind already for this card. ♥

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Sweet Scoops & Spunky Letters (retired)

Cardstock: Vanilla, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake and Pink Pirouette

Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake and Pink Pirouette

Stampin' Write Markers: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake

Accessories: 1 1/4 & 1 3/8 Circle Punches, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Dimensionals, (non-SU brads), sewing machine, Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (LOVE IT!)

Caroline's Rag Bag

Today, my mother-in-law and friend (who else besides me can say that?), Caroline came up and she brought material to make a rag bag. She brought this amazing black and white material. I will be honest, I was a little nervous that it would be too busy when we got it together. I put Caroline to work cutting batting while I cut the scallop squares on the Big Shot. She cut and pressed the straps (shhhhh! this is my least favorite part of making the bag--ironing. YUCK!) I quilted the squares while Caroline looked through my stamps. I layed out the pieces and Caroline started assembling. Well in the meantime, Evan joined us in the craft room. Like a terrific grandma, Evan was way more fun the I took over on the sewing machine. I assembled the rest of the bag, but because Caroline can sew straighter she got to the top stitch that rounds around the entire bag. She did some extra stitching to reinforce her straps. We added a faux bottom and WAH-LAH a simple black and white rag bag! Tomorrow she's taking it to church. :) I love it! ♥

The completed bag:Up Close: (Do you remember the SU! background Seeing Spots? Doesn't the black material remind you of that?)

Oh and Caroline got here about 1pm. We visited, played with Evan, planned out the bag and still had the bag completely done by 5pm. I thought we did pretty good. (We are both pretty chatty! lol)

Monkey See. Monkey Do. A Little Monkey Bag for You.

My friend and customer, Belinda wanted a custom bag for her sister who is expecting her first baby. Belinda brought me the most adorable fabric I have ever seen. It's Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Creamy Caramel and Chocolate Chip. It's so stinkin' cute!

Belinda made a request that the outside of the bag be made w/ one fabric and the inside w/ another. This is a first for me...

What do you think?

Inside:
Outside:

I really want to keep this bag!
For those of you who haven't seen these bags before they are made using the Big Shot and the Scallop Square Die---so EASY!

A Few of Favorite Things "F"

Evan loves his dad. Everything about Terry is awesome in Evan's eyes.

Evan loves to be outside. Whether he is just running around or playing with his dumptruck.

Evan also loves to ride the 4-wheeler. He's not fussy about where you go or if it's just a couple minutes, he just loves to go along for the ride.

Now just imagine when you have all off your favorite things all at once. :)

That's right! You get one happy boy.

COLORS: Wild Wasabi, Brocade Blue, So Saffron

Shannon Rose's Welcome Card

My niece, Lindsey is due to have her first baby the beginning of September. The baby shower is coming up quickly and rather than procrastinate (WHO ME?), I decided to take advantage of this week's color challenge on the Cards & Things Challenge Blog. There's lots of PINK! I love pink.

Here's Shannon Rose's Welcome Card! :)

Card Recipe: (card size 5 x 5)

Stamps: Nursery Necessities (sentiment -retired) and Baby Bundle

Cardstock: Whisper White, Pretty In Pink and Chocolate Chip

DSP: Sweet Always (retired)** A couple of great substitutions for the retired DSP in the current catalog would be "Love Birds", "BABW Pawsitively Prints", "Celebrations" and "Nursery Suite Specialty".

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Stampin' Write Markers: Chocolate Chip, Blush Blossom and Pretty in Pink

Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, Dimensionals, Rhinestone Brads, mat pack and paper piercer, 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon.

Ink: Chocolate

Baby Boy/Nursery Necessities

I have been searching for the retired set, Nursery Necessities for a couple weeks now and finally found one. Ann Fitton was nice enough to sell me her set. (I LOVE THIS SET!) After it retired, I started to panic a little about never ordering it. I sent out my desperate plea to several of the Yahoo Groups I belong to and luckily Ann was willing to part w/ her set. :) Thanks, Ann!

The Nursery Necessities set arrived just in time for Krista's Sketch Challenge over at Card & Things. This week is a simple sketch that has so many possibilites.

Sketch #40

I decided to make a baby boy card.

I hope I have some more time this week to make the baby girl version of this sketch! :)

I have A LOT of pattern paper from when I worked in a Scrapbook Store a few years back and I decided that the Stampin' Up!© core colors would match up perfectly--so no you aren't missing something in the NEW IB&C. This paper is not SU!, but I'm hoping to use up enough so that I have room to buy all the gorgeous new DSP from SU!

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Nursery Necessities

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Cherry Cobbler (more of a brick red-great color!), Very Vanilla

Ink: Baja Breeze, Cherry Cobbler, So Saffron

DSP: Non-SU!

Brads: Non-SU! (I don't have the new SU! brads yet, butI'm ordering from SU! to get all the yummy new brads shortly!)

Punch: New 2 3/8" scallop circle

Accessories: Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Dimensionals, So Saffron 5/8" Grosgrain (retired)

Ketchup--Food or Fingerpaint

Evan has a new love--ketchup. Ketchup makes all foods worthy of eating. Without it, few foods will make it into this toddler's tummy. Evan loves to dunk his fries and hamburger in ketchup.
He loves to run his finger through the ketchup and lick it off. BUT most of all, Evan loves to fingerpaint with the ketchup. He made a lot of abstract art on his highchair tray during lunch today. Some moms would say he's simply playing with his food, but how can you be sure? Picasso could have gotten his start w/ ketchup art. LOL

Shameless product plug......
Do you like the colors I used? I didn't think of it on my own. (yep, I'm strong enough to admit this. LOL) I used the COOLEST NEW TOOL that Stampin' Up! has in their 2010-11 Idea Book & Catalog--The Color Coach! It is awesome. I would highly recommend to everyone that does any kind of scrapbooking, papercrafting or cardmaking.

Patriotic Wedding Thank You's

This past weekend my niece, Lindsey married to Ryan Pishion, a National Guardsman. They had a beautiful wedding and to no one's surprise there was a lot of red, white and blue at their reception.

My sister called me yesterday and asked me to make a handful of special, but simple Thank You's for some people that helped out with the wedding. Now I have done patriotic cards, I have done thank you cards, and I have done wedding cards, but NOT ONCE have I done patriotic wedding thank you's.

Patriotic Wedding Thank You's

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Thank You Kindly

Ink pads and Stampin' Write Markers: Night of Navy, Cherry Cobbler (pretty color)

Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Night of Navy, Whisper White

Accessories: Non SU! ribbon (got use up some of my stash) and oval punches, small star punch (retired SU! ), Perfect Polka Dot Impressions Folder

Background Whimsy Challenge 39

I hope you are having a safe and happy 4th of July weekend. It's been a busy couple weeks around the Hawkinson house and I'm ready for a slow down so I can first clean my stampin' room and then STAMP!

My mind has been rather preoccupied lately. Evan had his MRI on Friday to look at his brain. Unfortunately, because it was the Friday before a holiday weekend, there was no one at the hospital to read it. Evan came through it like a champ. What an amazing little guy he is. ♥ Hopefully, this will give us some answers to the seizure activity that they found during the EEG and start us in the right direction to stop the activity.

How many of you are Technique Junkies? I know there are a lot of us that love to see stamping ideas, but how many of you are true "Junkies"? I have been a part of Pat Huntoon's Technique Junkies for years. It is the best group to be involved in if you love to collect stamping/art supplies and don't want them collecting dust on your shelves. HOWEVER, if you are a true addict like me, you buy a lot of products just to try out the cool techniques that are offered through the newsletter. If you are not a "Junkie" pop over to http://www.techniquejunkies.com/ and check out the site and tell Pat that I sent ya! :)




Using one of the new techniques from the TJ newsletter , Garden Whimsy w/ Dye Ink ,and Krista's Challenge for the week, I came up with a wedding card for my neice's wedding.

Here's Krista's sketch for this week--come play along! There are so many possibilities. :)

Here's my card:

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Bella Toile, Occasional Quotes (beautiful Level 3 Hostess set from the new IB&C)

Cardstock: Whisper White, Glossy White, Basic Black

Ink: Certainly Celery, Garden Green, Rose Red, So Saffron, Basic Black Marker (doodles), Black Staz On

Accessories: gel pen, daubers, black satin ribbon, dimensionals, SU! pastels--chalk, ovals

Evan's Computer Time

Evan has always loved the computer. But now he is finally big enough to climb up into the computer chair. Every time we leave the room, we come back to find Evan plunking away on the keyboard looking ohhhh so serious. It is really hard for me not to laugh (or take pictures) of Evan surfing the web, checking his email and updating his Facebook status. Honestly though, I need to nip this in the bud--he makes screens and options come up on the computer that I have no idea how to fix!!! Yep, he's 20 months old and more computer savvy than his mom. LOL

Retired Stamp Sets for Sale/Trade

Cleaning out some of my retired sets. My shelves are spilling over and my dear husband is getting a little curious about where these stamps keep coming from. LOL

Retiring sets I would like to TRADE or SELL

***Trades each pay their own shipping
*** I usually do flat rate envies unless otherwise requested for sales
***paypal, check or money order accepted
***US residents only


TRADE ONLY Awash w/ Flowers NEW (clear mounted) $25 trade value

For Sale or Trade
Picnic Parade NEW (clear mounted) $15
Picnic Parade NEW (wood mounted $17 SOLD
Whimsical Words (clear mounted) $10

Holy Triptych (one stamp used w/ a little black staining on the rubber) $17
Refuge and Strength NEW $18
A Flower for All Seasons NEW $12
Happy Everything $15
Whimsical Words (clear) NEW $10
Of the Earth NEW $7
Very Thankful NEW $7
Boho Backgrounds NEW $15
Bitty Birthday NEW $7
Four Square NEW $7
Wanted NEW $18
True Friend (staining on one stamp) $17
Garden Whimsy (mounted but I don't remember ever using it)$20
Cute Cues NEW $7
Little Flowers NEW $7
Love Bug NEW $7
Holiday Best NEW $7
Like O-Meter NEW $7 PENDING

Sets I would like:
Nursery Letters (wheel)
Nursery Necessities
Look Who's Turning
Build a Roo
Tool Time
Cheers to You
Varsity Numbers
Bella Toile
From the Kitchen of
Seeing Stars
Greeting Card Kids
Serene Snowflakes
Got Treats
Every Little Bit
The Nicest Things
Brads, Buttons, Pearls, Rhinestones, Clips, Ribbon...