Stampin' Up! Happy Hour

I forgot to share the card I made last Friday.  It was a quick one that I put together using the sketch at Create with Connie and Mary and the colors at Dynamic Duos.  Simple, but I enjoyed using this much neglected set.  

  

Stamps:  Happy Hour

Ink:  Pacific Point, Old Olive

Paper:  Whisper White, Old Olive, Brights DSP stack

Accessories:  Pacific Point ribbon (retired)

Miss Laila loves her peek-a-boo.  This was yesterday after a VERY rough night.   I had posted on Sunday that she had a fever.  Well, at midnight that night she ended up having a febrile seizure.  It was so terrifying for us.  I called 911 and we had the nicest EMTs from our volunteer fire department respond.  It did involve an ambulance ride and a few hours in the ER, but she was fine after that minus the fever.  No ear infection and no UTI, so we aren't sure what's causing the issue.  They said maybe a virus, maybe teething. Ugh.  Not helpful, right?!  We kept it down yesterday by alternating medicines and while she seems okay today, we are keeping a close eye on her.   We even bought a video monitor for her room.  I can't say we slept well last night, but I'm hoping tonight will be easier.   

Stampin' Up! Perfect Blend

This week I worked on some cards for my next event, an open stamping day.   I design the cards, send a picture and supply list to customers, and then they bring their consumables and make them using my stamps/inks/tools.  I always provide sketches with the measurements for them so that they can use them again for other ideas at home.  I love that they have the experience of cutting and making everything all by themselves.  :)  I used the awesome sketch at Retrosketches this week for this card we'll be making.

Stamps:  Gorgeous Grunge, Perfect Blend, Happy Hour
Ink:  Versamark, Early Espresso
Paper:  Early Espresso, Sahara Sand, Pear Pizzazz, Gingham Garden DSP
Tools:   Small Heart Punch

My little kitchen helper.  :)  She loves her whisk.  Today has been a better day.  We went to the program at the library and then to the craft stores to look around.   It was nice to get out of the house for a bit.  It was over 100 degrees again today, but we had a nice storm come through this evening and it's cooler now.   Thank goodness for that!

Birthday Bash 2013

Don't you hate it when you need a birthday card at the last minute and can't find one in your card stash?   In this class we'll be making a variety of birthday cards so that you'll have some on hand.   If you have plenty of birthday cards already, some of the designs can also be made into thank you cards.   Just be sure to let me know you'd like some different sentiments and I'll put out some stamp sets for you to choose from.

This class is a bit different than my previous ones in that you can make as many or as few of each card as you want.   There is a minimum of 10 cards to attend the event, but you are welcome to make more if you'd like.   Please email me by noon on Friday which cards you'd like to make and how many of each so that I can get your packet ready for you.  

Cost is $20 for the first 10 cards, $2 for each additional card.  

Here are the choices:

Card #1:  Birthday Circles

Card #2: Birthday Leaves

Card #3:  Birthday Butterflies

Card #4:  Shabby Birthday

 Card #5:  Birthday Cheers

Happy Hour Cheers

Laila was great today and let me make 2 cards!  This is actually the second one I made.  I know it's not a valentine, but it's cute, right?  :)   I'm working on ideas for a birthday class and this will be one we make I think. I just love purple and green together!   I'm already missing Wisteria Wonder and Lucky Limeade and they aren't even gone yet.   The set of in colors that are leaving this year are so amazing and I'm pretty sure I'll need counseling when they are gone.   (insert hysterical crying)

Jason worked all day (and is still there actually), so Laila had to be my valentine today.  We went out on the town (to the library) and then shopping (Target).   To thank Jason for his hard work and to show our love, we made his favorite dessert, Black Forest Mini Cheesecakes.   They are so good and I wish he'd get home so we could have one!   He surprised me with a dozen roses.   We always say we aren't going to do anything but we both do every time.  

I'm off to relax and watch a bit of Top Chef that's on the DVR.  I hope everyone had a great day today and was able to spend time with someone they love.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Club Card and a Funny!

With Laila being sick, I'm running a bit behind on preparing for club.  I finally designed a card to go along with our ornaments today and got it all ready to go.   I'm not sure we'll have time to do both, but we'll see how the night goes.   I saw a fun sketch at Create with Connie and Mary and while I wasn't able to stamp and enter it, I still had a great time with it.

My Happy Hour set seemed neglected so I thought I'd pull it out and make something fun. With the way this week has been going, I could use a cocktail.  lol   Maybe I can treat myself on my birthday next week!  :)

I'm pretty sure my Old Olive went into shock when I pulled it out to use it today. I remember back in the day when it was THE green to use.  I think both it and Chocolate Chip are probably a bit depressed these days.  

Now on to the funny...  

Jason and I were cleaning out some drawers and found this "gorgeous" Valentine that I made him back when I first started stamping.    It's very special that's for sure.  I tried right?   It's good to look back and see how far I've come with my hobby and how much using Stampin' Up! almost exclusively has helped as well.

My sweet girl isn't throwing up today but she is pretty tired.  She fell asleep playing in her bouncy seat today.  I think her tooth is starting to push through the gums a bit more so she has been pretty fussy today.  I am not a fan of teething so far that's for sure.

Freshly Made Happy Drink

It feels like ages since my last post!  I got hit with another round of the stomach virus last Friday and it just wiped me out. I'm back though, and today is Freshly Made Sketches day.  Jen M. created this sketch for us to work with this week and I really like it.   It took me a bit to figure out how I wanted to do my layers, but it finally came together.   Jason and Laila were playing in my room while I stamped so I think that was part of that issue.  She's so cute that it's hard NOT to watch her.  :)

No Christmas here.  I need some fun birthday cards for my shop display so I'm trying to focus on those for this week.  I haven't used my Happy Hour set in ages!  What's wrong with me?!  I bought it in wood and I keep forgetting about it when I look through my stamps. :/  I combined it with a favorite color combination of mine, Tempting Turquoise and Real Red.  I also added in a bit of scoring and more white space than I'm comfortable with.  :)   

My girl isn't so little now.  I can't believe all the changes that happen almost overnight!   Saturday night I decided to try putting her to sleep without swaddling and wow!   She slept great and has every night since.   Not only that, but she's been going to sleep on her own!   I bought a butterfly that projects stars on the wall and plays music and we turn it on and she watches it (and sings along) until she falls asleep.  It's amazing!   She's starting to roll over on to her side while laying on her back, so I think she'll get all the way over soon.  Not sure how that will go since she hates being on her tummy!  She has rolled from tummy to back, but doesn't do it consistently just yet.   My mom isn't going to know what to think when she arrives in a month.  She hasn't seen her since she was a few weeks old.   It is going to be an amazing Christmas for sure.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who will be celebrating it this week. We are extra thankful this year for sure.  :)  

Gingerbread Men

So excited!  My little pre-order from the upcoming holiday catalog arrived today!   I have had zero creativity lately, but I tried to go make something anyway.   This card was inspired by a sample in the catalog; I just changed up things to use products that I actually had.   :)   I can't believe I made a Christmas card in July!

Stamps:  Scentsational Season, Happy Hour, Tiny Tags

Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Soft Suede, Lucky Limeade

Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Festival of Prints DSP stack

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels Collection framelits, Holiday Collection framelits, Chevron embossing folder, Jewelry Tag punch, Neutrals buttons, Vintage Trinkets, Lucky Limeade ruffled ribbon, Cherry Cobbler baker's twine

Did you miss me? :)

What a week!  Jason went back to work on Thursday, so I got to experience my first days home alone with the baby.  It went great, but those 14-15 hour days are rough.  I was glad to have him back home today for sure.  I didn't find much time to stamp, but I started working on a card for the color challenge at Create with Connie & Mary last night and just finished it up tonight.  

A pretty simple card, but man it took me forever to make it.  My poor brain is just tired lately and to top that off, I fell last weekend and either bruised or broke my tailbone!   It hurts so bad to sit down so I've managed to get quite a bit of cleaning done around the house since that requires standing.  :)   First a rough pregnancy and now that...I'm most definitely feeling my age lately.   I'm going to need that Life Alert thing before you know it.  

Stamps:  Happy Hour

Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, So Saffron

Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Pool Party, Whisper White, 2011-2013 In Color DSP stack

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Finishing Touches Edgelits, Chevron embossing folder, 1 3/8 square punch

I am just so in love with this little girl.   Here she is in her swaddle blanket aka baby straight jacket.  :)  

Happy Tuesday!

    
Since I'm still being a lazy pregnant lady, I used my leisure time to stamp again today.  :)    I did manage to fit a bit of laundry in there too, so at least I feel a bit productive.   Growing a baby is hard work though, right?!   I decided to combine two fun challenges today, the awesome sketch at Try Stampin' on Tuesday with the awesome colors from colourQ.   While I did order a few more new stamp sets, right now I'm enjoying the two I do have.  So...it's Happy Hour again today!

Don't you just love this stamp set?   It's just so fun and perfect for summer cards!  I added a few more new goodies to this card too, the Finishing Touches Edgelits and the Chevron embossing folder.   I think it turned out great considering I struggled a bit with all the layers.  Cheers!

Stamps:  Happy Hour

Ink:  Bashful Blue, Night of Navy, Marina Mist, Lucky Limeade

Paper:  Marina Mist, Lucky Limeade, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Night of Navy DSP (misc. retired), 2011-2013 In Color DSP stack

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Finishing Touches Edgelits, Chevron Embossing Folder, Basic Rhinestones, Regals buttons, Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine

DD5: Cheers!

I've been wanting to play along with the Dynamic Duos challenge all week but kept waiting on my new designer paper!  Once it got here the week got busy and of course I put it off.   This morning I finally realized the deadline was today so I HAD to do it or miss out on the fun!   I decided to use my new stamp set (again!) and a new embossing folder, the Chevron pattern!  I think it's fun to emboss designer paper; it just adds some fun to it and fun is what Happy Hour is all about, right?!  

Aren't those colors great together?   I'm normally terrified of color challenges but I'm trying to embrace them and gain some confidence in mixing them up.   Island Indigo is one of my favorite colors for sure and red...well, who doesn't love red?!   

Stamps:  Happy Hour

Ink:  Real Red, Island Indigo

Paper:  Real Red, Island Indigo, Whisper White, 2011-2013 In Colors DSP stack

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Chevron embossing folder, Scallop Circle punch, Circle punch, Brights Glimmer Brads

cQc140: Cheers!

colourQ is one of my favorite challenge blogs because for me it is just that, a challenge!   It always inspires me to try to use more than a couple of colors and a more clean-and-simple approach.  This week's challenge has some of my favorite colors, but I would never have thought to put them together!  

Forgive the bad picture; I guess photography at 7am is not my forte.   :)    I got a new box of goodies from Stampin' Up! last night and was so excited to use my new Happy Hour set!   I don't like alcohol, but I love these fun glasses with all their accessories.  As a bonus, there are great sentiments to go along with them!    Thanks to my great customers, I was able to earn this set for free and I'm very thankful as the baby budget makes the stamping budget almost non-existent.   Totally worth the trade-off of course.  :)

Stamps:  Happy Hour

Ink:  Island Indigo, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Lucky Limeade

Paper:  Island Indigo, Real Red, Whisper White

Tools/Accessories:   Simply Scored, Basic Rhinestones, Stamp-a-ma-jig