FMS110: Coffee!!!!!!!

Short post as I completely forgot to set my blog post up last night.  Ugh!  It's been that kind of week already.   I'm hosting the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches this week.  I made when ended up being a difficult sketch.   I hope my fellow designers aren't ready to kill me after it.  lol  I went pretty simple with my card and just used a mix of my coffee stamps. 

See?  It's kinda funky!  I hope you'll go play along!  I love seeing what everyone does with it. 

Getting a toddler to sit still long enough to pose for a picture is impossible!  lol  This was what we finally got, so I'll take it.  :)

Stampin' Up! Perfect Blend for FMS

Time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.   This week's sketch from the fabulously talented Narelle.  That girl can layer, fussy cut, and make bows like nobody else!    Now I have to confess, I almost made NEXT week's card instead of one.  I just happened to realize it before I finished and posted it.  lol   Starting over on a day when the whole house is grumpy and the girl won't nap wasn't fun, but I managed to get a card made.   

Stamps:  Perfect Blend, Like It a Latte, TCP Thanks a Latte
Ink:  Early Espresso, Garden Green
Paper:  Early Espresso, Garden Green, Crumb Cake, Whisper White
Accessories:  Neutrals buttons (retired), Early Espresso Baker's Twine
Tools:  Big Shot, Chevron EF, Stripes EF

Laila really likes the cats.  They aren't quite as happy to see her as she is them though.  Bandit -+********************- (that's Laila helping me type my post) has been patient with her so far.  Here she is "petting" him last night.  You have to concentrate REALLY hard to pet cats you know!

Thanks a Latte

I found this fun sketch on Splitcoaststampers this week.  I used to try to play along there a lot and need to again.  They have at least one challenge of some sort every day of the week.  Here's the whole list if you want to check them out.  It's a great source for inspiration.  

Now before I post my card, I'll warn you that it's not all Stampin' Up!   I know, I know.   The problem is me.  I have an addiction to coffee and that carries over into coffee STAMPS!   I try not to buy too many, but every now and then I give in...   I did see a sneak peek of a new coffee set coming in the new catalog, so I'm already waiting on that baby!  If you have a good eye, you can see it on this video showing off the new wood mount cases.  

I did use the cute heart from Like It a Latte..does that count?  :)   All the paper is SU of course.  I pulled out Old Olive to try to start getting used to using it again.  It wasn't TOO painful, but I do still prefer Lucky Limeade.  

Stamps:  Hero Arts, The Cat's Pajamas, SU Like It a Latte

Ink:  Early Espresso

Paper: Early Espresso, Old Olive, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Neutrals DSP stack

My cats are going through a major adjustment this week.  Laila has mastered pulling up, so she's constantly trying to grab them.  They are going to have to move up a level!  

FMS Latte Oops!

I had to laugh as I put up the picture of our new sketch from Freshly Made Sketches tonight.  I totally didn't make my card right!!!!!   I forgot to chop off the side of my doilies before I stuck them down and I couldn't get them back off my paper.  I hope Allisa doesn't kill me for totally mangling her sketch.  Everyone else on the design team did a great job, so be sure you go check out those cards and ignore my goof up!   (No more watching TV and stamping my design teams cards!)

My two loves (after Jason and Laila) are stamping and coffee.  I LOVE coffee.   I can't even think about starting the day without a cup.  I keep this fun retired set called Like It a Latte for days when I feel like coffee on my stamping. I always like using colors that remind me of Starbucks on these cards as that and Target are two of my favorite places to go.   

...and speaking of Target, here's us being silly there today!  :)  

Triple Hope

Whew!  Been trying so hard to finish up these challenges.  After these three, I have ONE more to go and I will have made them all!   I feel like that's a pretty awesome accomplishment and I'll be proud of myself if I make it.   This card is for Donna's challenge:  My challenge is called Cork, Canvas or Clay. The rules are easy - just make a card or project using Cork, Canvas or Clay (or anything similar like burlap).   I struggled this this one for a bit, but I used some leftovers on my desk and came up with this.  Hopefully someone will like it.  It was hard to come up with colors that worked with burlap.  :)

Stamps:  Watercolor Trio (retired), Best Yet (retired)

Ink:  Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Crumb Cake

Paper:  Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla, First Edition DSP

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Scallop Circles #2 die (retired), Woodgrain embossing folder, 3-inch circle die, burlap

This is a cute little tea holder that I made for Patty's challenge:  

• Make a treat holder of some kind, include a packaged treat to brighten someone's day
• Use Pink, Black, White, & Silver
• Glam it up

Stamps:  Like it a Latte (retired)
Ink:  Melon Mambo, Basic Black
Paper:  Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Neutrals DSP stack, Silver Glimmer paper
Tools/Accessories:  Simply Scored, Small Heart punch, Basic Rhinestones, Black Gingham ribbon (retired)

Finally, this is for Lydia's challenge:  For this challenge use any outdoorsy inspiration.  I am not a big outdoors person, but I love fall.   I created some lovely leaves using my favorite colors from this season.  

Stamps:  Gently Falling, Something to Celebrate (retired), Woodgrain
Ink:  More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso
Paper: Early Espresso, More Mustard, Naturals White, Early Espresso Coredinations, Autumn Spice DSP (retired)
Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Woodgrain embossing folder, sanding block, color spritzer

She's not convinced that this toy is fun.  :)  As a side note, if anyone knows where the switch is to turn babies back to daylight savings time, I would love to know.  We were up a wee bit early today.   I think that change along with her four month shots tomorrow might make for a long week.   I have two events this week and haven't started prepping yet, so I am going to be one stressed out momma!  

Cup of Hope

Well, it's been one of those days today.  Laila is currently on outfit number four and two of my cats are quickly working their way to the pound.  (Not really, but I think we'll soon be those people who have pets that live in different parts of the house because they can't get along.)   During all this "fun", I did manage to make another card for the Hope You Can Cling To challenges.   This time I worked on Edna's challenge and here's what it was:  One of my all time favourite things is WORDS, and they mean so much to so many, especially in times of encouragement and hope. My challenge is to use five individual words on a card. You are welcome to include images, but the focus should be on the words, stamp them, punch them, cut them out of magazines... the choice is yours!   

Now that I look at it, I think I did it wrong.  :(   I used a five word sentiment.  Oh well, it's still another card to send to MD Anderson, right?!   Now you'll have to forgive me for using a non-SU stamp, but I have a bit of a thing for coffee and cat stamps.  It's not really what I envisioned when I started, but it'll do I suppose.  Considering how this day has been, I'm surprised I made anything!  (Thanks to my friend Marla for suggestion the steam!)   

Stamps:  Like It a Latte (retired), Scentsational Season, coffee cup stamp
Ink:  Early Espresso
Paper:  Early Espresso, Pretty In Pink, Subtles DSP stack
Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Finishing Touches edgelits, Wide Oval punch, Fancy Fan Embossing Folder, Holiday Collection framelits

Here was Laila's first outfit today.  :)   We decided it was a bit too warm for her after a while.   

colourQ coffee

Isn't this an awesome color combination?   I was so excited when I saw the colourQ challenge today.   I didn't know what I was going to make with it, but just pulling the colors together and looking at them made me happy.   :)

I know what you're thinking....am I on the right blog?   Yes, you are and yes, that's a non-SU stamp.   I had a doctor's appointment today and like the last few appointments, my blood pressure was high.  I have to get tested for pre-eclampsia AGAIN.   I was so bummed and crying, so Jason took me for a bit of retail therapy.  This was all I got for me, so I wasn't too bad.   I miss my Starbucks so much right now (Laila seems to hate everything I try from there), so I think that's why I wanted this darn cup so much.    It's huge though, so it will take some work to use it.    I wanted to play with it tonight because I'm still pretty crabby.  That might be why it took me forever to make this!    Here's the other part of my shopping, Laila's coming home outfit:

Projects from the past few days....

 Sorry about the bad pictures.   I worked pretty much all of the daylight hours today and didn't have any sunlight to help with the photos.    How cute is this snowman Tic Tac holder?   Love it!

 I made up a couple of sets of my lunch box notes using Fox & Friends.   Can you imagine the look on a child's face when they open up their lunch box and find a cute card from mom or dad?    Priceless!   Having been though the loss of a child and looking at the prospect of not being a parent again,  I know how important it is that your child knows how loved and appreciated they are.   Be sure you take a minute to tell them today...and tomorrow...and every day!

Here are a couple more tea bag holders that I made up this week.   Very cute stocking stuffer or gift to go along with a gift card.  

Fancy favor boxes make adorable hostess gifts!   I filled this fall-themed one with some yummy chocolate!

Today's Project: Gift Card Holder

A major gift-giving holiday is coming up (I don't want to mention any names for fear of starting a shopping panic) and I wanted to start focusing on a few ideas for gifts.   We end up purchasing quite a few gift cards, which seem like a pretty boring gift to give.   I decided to find a better way to give them and found this tutorial by Andrea Walford.   I love it!   It makes the gift seem a bit more personal and I like that.    I can't wait to make more for birthdays, Christmas, Just Because...the possibilities are endless!