A Nice Little Valentine

Over the weekend, we headed over to Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  Our oldest daughter, Dani was invited their to compete in an essay competition for a portion of tuition over the weekend and to tour the campus. It snowed our entire 3+ hour ride over on Friday night. I was glad that Terry could go along and drive. While it was too bad just a couple of inches, but I had never been to Kenosha and wasn't ready to make the trip in the dark and in the snow.  Carthage is beautiful.  The people are friendly.  BUT I wish it was 2 1/2 hours closer to home. 

Riley Kate and Evan stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Hawkinson.  It sounds like they had a good time. :)  We got home Saturday night--exhausted.  World travelers we are not!

Here's another sketch from Krista's Cards & Thing Challenge Blog.  It was a nice simple one again this week.  I love the possibllities of the 'easy sketches'. It amazes me how different the cards look w/ just a few simple shapes to work with.

Here's mine.  I pulled out The Nicest Things set again.  I wanted to make a BFF card.  Every girl has got to have a best girlfriend to giggle and cry with.

With my Signo gel pen I added dots to the scallop circle and then stitches using the mat pack and piercer along w/ the gel pen. If you don't have a SU! Signo gel pen, it is a MUST HAVE.

I did some quick watercoloring using my reinkers and an aqua painter.

Sweet Friends

Here's a quick little card I made while Evan was napping.  I had a few watercolored images leftover that I had never used on my table.  What better time to use them, right?  :)  I used the colors from the Pawsitively Prints DSP when I watercolored the image so I went and found a couple scraps of dsp.  Like I said--quick.  I love spending naptime in my stampin' room.

Tomorrow we are expecting snow again in Wisconsin. I hope we get enough for my husband to go snowmobiling.  He's only been out once this year and I would like him to get to go again.  Cross your fingers that we get the 5" instead of the 3".  I know that's just crazy to be wishing for snow, but hey I love him.  :)

Thank you, Sweet Friends

I am truly blessed w/ some wonderful friends. Today I had a chance to stamp and thought it was time to remember those that make my life so wonderful.

I have been very bad at making Thank You's and sending them. I had a birthday the first week of September and I received some nice gifts (some even stamp related! :)) And over the summer, a few sweet friends joined Evan and I for the Blanchardville Autism Walk and some others sent donations in Evan's name. I thought that was definitely worthy of a handmade card. I'm just sorry it took so long.

You guys are the best! ♥

Card Recipes:

Stamp Set: The Nicest Things

CS: Pear Pizzazz, Tempting Turquoise, Poppy Parade, Whisper White

Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Tempting Turquoise, Poppy Parade, So Saffron, Bashful Blue, More Mustard

DSP: Pawsitively Prints II

Accessories: Mat pack and paper piercer, so saffron brads, itty bitty shapes punch pack, pearls, sponge, scallop circle punch

The Nicest Things

One of the nicest things is a 3 day weekend. We had a great Labor Day weekend here in Wisconsin. The weather was cool and pleasant. Although we didn't plan a lot for the weekend, it was nice to have the kids home for three days. :) I know...I know... They just started school on Wednesday and I was already for them to be home again. I'm such a softy when it comes to the kids.

Another nice thing is Krista's Cards & Things Challenge Blog. It's nicest thing to know that I will at least get to stamp one card a week thanks to Krista. :)

This week is a sketch challenge. Simple--that's nice thing too.

If you haven't noticed there's a theme to this post. :)

Look at this cute stamp set I just got from Stampin' Up! It's called The Nicest Things (pg 71 IB&C). It is so sweet- I love the little girls.

I loved the set so much that I decided not to give up on watercoloring w/ aqua painters and give it just one more shot. I think I finally got it! I added a sponge inside my aqua painter to act as a bladder so my paper wasn't so wet. It was the nicest thing to have some control over the flow AND I used watercolor paper. Omgosh, what a difference!

I'm going to go and clean my kitchen quick so I can go back downstairs and play! :)

Card Recipe:

Stamp Set: The Nicest Things

Cardstock: Pear Pizzazz, Poppy Parade

Paper: Watercolor Paper and Build A Bear Workshop Pawsitively Prints II

Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Pear Pizzazz, Poppy Parade, Staz On, So Saffron, Bashful Blue

Accessories: Lattice Square, Sewing Machine, Big Shot, Scalled Square, Aqua Painter, Pearls, dimensionals, Pear Pizzazz 1/2" stitched poly ribbon, Scallop Square Punch (cloud template)

Hope you have the nicest thing happen to you today!♥