Happy Green Birthday

I thought I'd do a quick share of the birthday card I made for my brother.  :)  I am not very confident in collage style cards, but I tried to do a simple version.  I think it turned out pretty fun.  I have to find more cute St. Patrick's Day stamps to use for him.  I only have one and I'm sure he'll get tired of seeing it every year,.  :)

I'm having a lazy day playing with my new Distress Oxide inks, so I'm headed back to do that.  I hope you are having a good week.

Our raining cloud experiment from yesterday.  :)  I put too much shaving cream in to start, so it took FOREVER for it to rain in our jar.  Lesson learned.

Two Paper Divas Hearts

Have you started thinking about Valentine's Day yet?  lol   I loved this last release from Two Paper Divas and haven't had a chance to play with all the stamps yet.   I won't be on the team in 2016 as I needed a break to get my life in order, but I will still be sharing projects with their stamps.   I hope I might can sneak in as a guest designer every now and then as well.  Gayla and Melissa are wonderful ladies and I encourage you to check out the shop if you haven't already.

My favorite part of Valentine's Day is the candy of course.  The conversation hearts are such a tradition and I love that they released a stamp set of them. (Large Conversation Heart).  I used the big heart and two of the sayings for my card.  I added a simple watercolor in the background in pink of course.  This card took me forever to finally leave alone and then it wouldn't photograph well at all.  The rainy days didn't have enough light and then I don't know what happened.  lol  See?  I'm a mess!

The fireworks are starting up, so I think I'm going to go set up the bed so I can snuggle with Sadie and watch some Breaking Bad.   I hope you have a wonderful end to 2015!  I'll be back with a post tomorrow sharing all my favorites from 2015.   I planned to do that today, but I had cards I needed to share.

Happy New Year!

I Chews You

Finally getting this poor card posted!  I made it last week and didn't like it so I kept looking at it and then finally pulled it apart and changed it up some yesterday.  I've had a migraine today and have barely felt like doing anything, so here it is the evening!   This is from a cute set from Two Paper Divas called I Chews You.  Is it not the cutest?!  I love gumball machines!   I couldn't get a good picture for some reason, but I think you can still see how adorable it is.

How cute are these two?   A rare moment of them being nice and not fighting!  I swear they are siblings!

Merry Little Christmas

Hello my blogging friends.  I hope you are all doing well.  I have been stamping and coloring, but haven't had a chance to actually do much in terms of photographing or blogging my cards.  I'm actually in a major coloring mood, but not so much a cardmaking mood.  I have put a few together, but I guess when that mojo returns I should have quite a few finished images to use!  This lovely clean-and-simple creation uses a large stamp from Two Paper Divas called Merry Little Christmas that is perfect if you need a lot of Christmas cards and fast!   It comes together quickly and has a nice polished look.

I hope your Christmas planning is going well and you are well on your way to being finished.  I'm not a big Christmas person, but I am almost done thank goodness.  I will be thankful when it is all over and we can move on to a new year.

Bloom Wildly

I am so behind on stamping and posting.   I have been so exhausted lately.  I think it's to the point that I need to go have some blood work done to make sure nothing is off.  I did manage to use this gorgeous watering can from the last Two Paper Divas release.  It is called Bloom Wildly and I think that's just a perfect name and a great motto for life. The sentiment is from Everyday Sentiments 3 and there are so many great ones in that set!

Laila got to ride in the car cart at the grocery store when we went to get all our Thanksgiving fixings earlier this week.  Can you tell how much she LOVED it?  lol  So silly.

Off to get a coffee so I can stay up until a reasonable hour.  I don't think 4pm is a time for bed even though I could easily go to sleep!

Blue Truck for TPD

Happy Sunday!  I hope you're having a good weekend.  We are a bit low-key here and that's good for me.  I colored a bit last night and made this card for Two Paper Divas.  The newest release had some great sentiments like this one from Everyday Sentiments 3 and this awesome old Truck.  It's a fun image to color with Copics or to paper piece if that's more your thing.  :)

We found this cute hat at Target this week.  She says she looks like Sadie.  lol   :)

...and DONE! Yay!!!

So happy!   I stayed up last night and managed to finish my last three cards!   I almost gave up around 9, but one last episode of Private Practice helped me stay and finish.  :)   I had to do fussy cutting, a new technique, and even managed to use an image I colored ages ago but hadn't used.   Whew!  Another year in the books!!

Yvette's challenge was to use construction related materials or stamps for a card.  I looked but we must not be very handy because I couldn't find anything.  I did have this awesome set from Two Paper Divas called You Are a Handy Guy that was perfect! I enjoy coloring these images a lot and cutting them out doesn't bother me at all because I love the look of them.  

This was my card for a try a tutorial from the SCS resource section.  I've been wanting to try the Iris Twist technique for ages, so I went with it!   It wasn't as difficult as I thought and I think the result is so neat!

And finally, Lydia asked us to cross the finish line.  We were to draw a line on our card and have something cross it.   I had colored this crazy bird back at the beginning of the challenges and hadn't had a chance to use her on anything.  I decided she was perfect for the finale.

Thanks for visiting and seeing all the cards from the past five weeks!  I hope they inspired you and I hope you will join in next year and make some of your own!

Centered Hive for TPD

Man!  I have been out of commission for a few days thanks to my coffee spilling in the keyboard of my laptop.  :(   Jason fixed it as best he could, but it was typing all crazy and not making any sense.  Tonight he got me a USB keyboard to hook up and now I can finally use it again.  Yay!   I have quite a few HYCCT cards saved up to post after being away for a few days, so you'll see quite a few of them in the next few days.  I have about nine more to do before Saturday to finish them all.  Whew!   Today's card uses one of my favorite Two Paper Divas sets called Bee Happy.  The challenge was to do a centered card where you image and sentiment were in the center.  I thought the bee hive and fun hexagon stencil would be a cheerful card for a cancer patient.  

Laila had the absolute best time last night.  She was a little unsure about it all at first, but by the end she was so into it.   It was her first time going and she's already asking when she can do it again.  lol

TPD Halloween Cupcake

I started this poor card days ago but just managed to finish it today.   One of the Hope You Can Cling To challenges was all about ombre, so I made a fun purple background with that effect.   For some reason, (Halloween?) I decided to pair it with green.   Don't you think this would be a fun birthday card for someone with a Halloween birthday?!   I love this Large Cupcake set from Two Paper Divas and find myself reaching for it way too much.  I love to color it!   Melissa and Gayla really did a great job on this set.  :)    I paired it with a sentiment from Banners #2.


I've been out of commission for a few days.   Laila has a cold and isn't sleeping so it's been rough going.   I think I was awake most of Sunday night and what I did sleep was in her floor and her recliner.  Boy does that make you feel old and broke down the next day.  lol  She did better last night and Jason as kind enough to take over night duties and give her meds.  We've had to watch her fever to avoid any febrile seizures.  Two is enough and I hope we don't have to see her go through one again. In fact, this time of day it is usually the highest so I'm off to do a check and see if it's time for more medicine!  Have a great week and I hope to be back to stamping more soon!

Blue Snowman for TPD

1. Two Paper Divas has a fabulous new release this month and this cute Snowman is one of them.   I had such a fun time coloring him.   I had tried a different technique with him for the past two days that I couldn't get to turn out, so I grabbed my markers to go about things the traditional way.  :)  I'm glad I did because I love him in blue!  The sentiment is from the Holiday Sentiments set.  This is also another Hope You Can Cling To card.   Diane challenged us to make an easy-to-mail card, so I left it flat and easy to pop in an envelope.  Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge is a clean and simple Christmas card, so he is also for that.  :)   

Stamps:  Two Paper Divas Snowman and Holiday Sentiments
Paper:  Neenah Solar White, misc. blue papers
Ink:  Stampin' Up! Basic Gray, Memento Black, Copics
Tools/Embellishments: Cuttlebug Snowflake Embossing Folder

Two Paper Divas Bundle of Joy

Okay, I am so happy that this is the last day of this month.  It has been such a tough one for me and I will be happy to see it go!   I am so behind on stamping and blogging, but my mom is here now and I'm hoping to really catch up and maybe get ahead?  I'm thinking that won't happen, but caught up sounds good at least.  :)   This is my sweet little card using a new Two Paper Divas set called Bundle of Joy.  We love giraffes at our house, so I was excited to color this little cutie.    Now somebody needs to have a baby so I can send it to them.   Any takers on that?!  lol

Stamps:  Two Paper Divas Bundle of Joy
Ink:  Stampin' Up! Chocolate Chip, Memento Black, Copics
Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Stampin' Up! Crushed Curry, Stampin' Up! Chocolate Chip
Tools/Embellishments:  Big Shot, My Favorite Things Blueprints 20, My Favorite Things Stitched Tags STAX, Stampin' Up! Lucky Stars Embossing Folder, Studio Calico Wood Veneers Stars, Paper Smooches Baby Bow Die

These two are pretty much attached at the hip.   It's so awesome to see how much they love each other.  I admit it's a bit sad for Jason and I as we cease to exist when Grammy is here.   I guess we can share her for a couple of weeks though.  :o)

Two Paper Divas Sassy Trees

Happy Monday.   (if there is such a thing!)  Today I wanted to share a card using a new release from Two Paper Divas.  I love whimsical stamps and I think these Sassy Trees are just adorable.  The sentiment is from the Holiday Sentiments set.

I've been out of commission with some allergy/cold/something-or-other and haven't felt like doing much of anything.  I swear you get one issue somewhat fixed and something else shows up!    I did go to a walk-in clinic over the weekend to make sure it wasn't strep or a sinus infection and thankfully it wasn't.  It's still no fun though and doesn't seem to want to go away.   Crazy!   We did have some nice weather over the weekend and I tried to enjoy it as much as I could.  We had the windows open most of the day yesterday and that was awesome (and rare!).  

Laila had her first day of Mother's Day Out on Thursday and she loved it.  She cried when it was time to leave!  lol   She is so excited about going back tomorrow and I am so excited to have a few hours alone!   ALONE!!!!!!!!   I'm hoping that Tuesdays will be my day to catch up on my stamping.  I'm always so behind now and feel like I'm failing both my design team and my challenge team.   They have both been great at supporting me through my breakdowns and life craziness.   Thank heavens for understanding folks, right?!

I'm off to shower and put together some stamped images and markers.  Laila has dance class today and I want to get a little coloring in while she's there.   :)  

Two Paper Divas Encouragement

I've become a big fan of Instagram and have made some nice crafty friends over there.   One of them has been going through some issues similar to mine, so I wanted to make a little card to send her.  I used a few sets from Two Paper Divas:  Wanna Hang Out, Large Cupcake Accessories, Mason Jar Accessories #4.   I love putting images from multiple sets together to make a card.   :)  

Things have been going okay here so far this weekend.   I am feeling some better, just a little worried about some family members who are struggling/sick.   Laila has a stuffy nose and didn't sleep the best on Friday night, so we are all a little tired.  I'm thankful that tomorrow is a holiday and that Jason is off work.  I'm hoping we can all rest tonight.  

Two Paper Divas Cupcake

Howdy strangers!   Believe it or not, I'm back!   I finally stamped something again last night.  It's been a while, but I wanted to play with this cute cupcake from Two Paper Divas again.   I really love coloring that big cupcake for some reason.  It's fun to add some shading and bright colors!  :)   It's from the Large Cupcake set and the sentiment is from the Large Cupcake Accessories set.  I thought it would be fun to make a shaker card and I think it turned out pretty cute.

So an update on why I've been out of stamping and blogging...

Last week things got really REALLY tough for me.   I don't know if you guys know much about PMDD, but it's a horrible awful thing that I developed after having Laila.  It has been a tough journey to get it under control and last week my medicine just seemed to not be helping at all.  I feel like I almost had a complete mental breakdown.   Thankfully I was able to get a quick appointment with a new doctor and have a new medicine now.   I am crossing my fingers and toes that it helps because I do not want to feel like I did last week again.  

In addition to that, Sadie got sick.  So sick in fact, that the vet thought she had distemper and offered me the option of having her put down on Friday.   Not a chance, so we tried some different medicine for her and an experimental treatment.  This week she's been like a new dog.  She's finally acting like the puppy she is!   She still has some congestion and a runny, but let's hope she's on the mend.

This week has been a busy one so far.  Laila started dance class.  We also went to meet her teachers for Mother's Day Out yesterday and explore her classroom.  I am still a little nervous about her going, but she loved it.  In fact, she had to be carried out crying because she didn't want to leave!  She keeps asking to go back too.  I think it will be a great experience for her and a break for me.  Her first full day is next Thursday.  

New House for Two Paper Divas

Feels like ages since I've posted!   The past week has just been crazy.   Laila is getting ready to start Mother's Day Out and a dance class soon so I've been getting ready for that.  I also did my first day of volunteering at the county animal shelter and that just wore me out.  My first day just happened to be one of if not THE busiest days ever there!   I was exhausted after I got home!    I did finally find time to make my Two Paper Divas card, but getting a picture and blogging it didn't happen quickly either.  More on that in a bit.  A good friend just bought a new house, so I just had to use the new My Neighborhood stamp set.  I also used a digital set of stamps called Everyday Sentiments for my congratulations.  Simple and cute!

Now on to why it's been an eventful week...

I saw this sweet girl in the kennels on Saturday and thought she was just the cutest thing.  Even though 73 animals found homes, she did not.   I thought about her and thought about her and yesterday we went to see her.  She's been a little sick this week, but I just heard this evening that she's feeling better.  Once she has been spayed, she will be joining our family.   I just couldn't stand the idea of her not making it out of the shelter and had to step up.   I know I can't do that every time I find a sweet dog during my volunteer time, but a life saved is always a good thing.  We are going to name her Sadie.  :)

Cupcake for Two Paper Divas

I'm pretty sure I will never be on time or get things done when I plan ever again.  lol   I'm finally sitting down to post my card for Two Paper Divas this week.  It was release week and they have some fun new stuff!   I needed a birthday card for my niece so I grabbed the new Large Cupcake stamp and colored it with my Copics to match a sheet of patterned paper.   I kept it simple as I really wanted the cupcake to shine.  It's so cute and yummy!   The sentiment comes from another set, Masor Jar Accessories #4.

I also made it to play along with another Dare to Get Dirty challenges at Splitcoast.  The deadline to enter is tomorrow and I'm bummed that I wasn't able to do more.   I did enjoy the ones I did make, so that is all that matters, right?

My parents sent Laila some money so she was so excited to go shopping.  She loves trains and picked this Thomas playset.  She had a blast with it and played and played.  It looked boring to me, but she loves it and that's all that matters.   I've been getting all her stuff together so she can start Mother's Day Out next month.  I am hoping we all benefit from her going two days a week.  Jason and I need a break and she is looking forward to playing with other kids.  I'm just not sure she quite gets that we won't be there.   I also signed her up for a little dance class.  Lots of new stuff!   :)

Two Paper Divas Strawberries

I'm so sorry that this didn't post yesterday.  I don't know what I did, but I messed up my post somehow.  I didn't notice until this morning and I haven't had time to sit down and redo it until this evening.  So, so sorry!    

This is my card for Two Paper Divas this week and it uses the Large Seed Packet stamp along with Seed Packet Accessories #1.  I wanted to combine my design team card with another of the Dare to Get Dirty challenges, so this one uses a challenge presented by Dina.   I don't know how many of the challenges I'll actually get done, but it's always fun to play along.

Stamps:  Two Paper Divas Large Seed Packet, Seed Packet Accessories #1
Ink:  Memento Black, Copics
Paper: Neenah Solar White, miscellaneous designer paper
Embellishments:  Stampin' Up! Daffodil Delight ribbon, $1 bin enamel dots

Yesterday was my sweet Eli's birthday.  It's hard to believe he would have been seven now.   It was a hot day, but we took him a balloon, some flowers, a new wind chime, and bubbles.   And tears.  Lots of tears.  

Two Paper Divas Bee Happy

Today I am sharing a card using a new set I got from Two Paper Divas called Bee Happy.  It's so cute!!!  I loved coloring the hive and adding in my cute little bees.   I kept it simple to show off the hexagon embossing and my little bees hiding in that.  Buzz!   Now I have a cute little card I can send off to a friend this week!  Yay!

Someone isn't happy if a car leaves the house and she's not in it.   Yesterday I had to go grocery shopping and promised her a surprise if she'd stay home with daddy.   I have had a magnifying glass on my to-find list forever and the grocery store had one in the school supply section!  Perfect!   She has had a blast with it!   I love encouraging her to explore and learn.  

Peppermints for TPD

Greetings.  Sorry it's been a while.  It's been a week of many changes and headaches and I haven't had a chance to get my blog posts written.   Today's card is from this month's release at Two Paper Divas and it's another Christmas in July.   I put the new and awesome Peppermints stamp in my Large Mason Jar and tied it up with a bow a button.   I had some candy designer paper in my stash and it seemed to work out perfectly.  The sentiment is from the new Holiday Sentiments set that you saw me use last week.  It is such a great set!

Laila had a big week that was both good and bad.   She's been doing great about using the potty and has earned some new Hot Wheels for her efforts.  She also got to have her crib made into a "big girl bed" and that is going well so far too.   The past three days have been super rough and left Jason and I both in tears, so I don't know what's going on with her.  I don't know if it's all the new changes or being three...  Just a difficult time for us all.  I'm dreading him going back to work tomorrow because if we have another day like today, I will probably go insane.  This too shall pass... 

Christmas in July with TPD

I hope your weekend is going great!  It's been a busy week here and I'm doing my last few things before I can head to bed.  This week is release week at Two Paper Divas and is Christmas in July!  We also had those big old lights on our house every year at Christmas, so I was happy to see those in my package this time.  It reminds me of so many childhood holiday memories.   I went with the traditional red and green because I wanted to use this really awesome chalkboard patterned paper with them.  The lights are from the Merry & Bright set and the greeting is from Holiday Sentiments.

Someone is still a bit Super Why obsessed.  lol   She has been a bit better the past few days, but earlier this week she had to wear the costume most of the day.    She's such a silly little thing.  :)