Sketchy Circles

Jenn created this super fun sketch for Try Stampin' on Tuesday this week and I just had to find time to play along.   It just screamed Circle Circus to me and I am a bit in love with that set lately.  :)

Hopefully it was okay to take a few liberties with the sketch.  My computer was off in my stamp room and I was too impatient to wait on it to boot up.  (It's seriously a dinosaur!)  I knew I wanted to flip it, but I didn't do it with all the elements in the right spot.   I still think it turned out pretty fun.   I'm trying my best to use up some of those soon to retire in colors!  :)

On another note, look what I got my baby girl today!  I love it!  

FM52: Fan Favorite!

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge :

1. Make a project using "Colorful Twine".
2. Or Make a project featuring "Kites".
3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a project with " Kites and Colorful Twine".

This week at the Friday Mashup is the challenge from the fan favorite contest!   I love the challenge because it gave me an excuse to use two of my favorites, Send Me Soaring and baker's twine!  

I used a combination from the awesome Color Coach for this one!   I loved that it had a blue for the sky and a green for the grass! Perfect, right?!   I just love this card!    My friend Marla helped me again on this one and I think it turned out great.  It's one of my favorites that I've made in a while actually.  

I hope you'll find time to join us!  It's a super fun challenge whether you mash it up or not!  

FMS28: Three Buttons

Lesley has another fun sketch for everyone at Freshly Made Sketches this week.   I know one of my blogging friends, LeAnne, will appreciate at she loves sketches and cards with any element of 3 in them!  :)

After seeing this awesome card by the super-talented Jenn, I just had to pull out Circle Circus and use it this week.   She's so inspiring, so be sure to go check out her blog.  I've been wanting to make some cards for younger girls, but I don't seem to have any stamps that work for that!   I decided to try a girly card for this one and I hope the brown and pink work for that.   I do have to say thank you to my friends Marla  and Mindy who have been so helpful to me lately when I'm struggling with my cards. They are always up for offering suggestions and encouragement and I love them.   Demo sisters are the best!  

This was one of those cards where lots of things go wrong, but I still like how it turned out.   I used Early Espresso for the card stock and buttons, but I somehow grabbed Chocolate Chip ink for the stamping part.   Does it show too much?   I was exhausted and done that day, so I decided to just let it go.  I also stamped a nice Chocolate Chip circle right in the middle of my Blushing Bride ink pad.   Have you done that?   I'm trying to figure out if it will recover or if I should get a new one.   I love that color and plan to use it even when it retires.   

I hope you're having a wonderful week.  I finally felt rested enough to go see The Hunger Games.   I fell in love with the books last year and was so excited for the movie.   No other plans for the week though.    Next week has so much going on that I'll take a restful rest of this week.   I have my April doctor's appointment complete with the 1 hour glucose test on Monday.  Fun, huh?   I hope to go to Babies R Us and Target to finish our registries afterwards.  Then there's stamp club on Friday and Easter on Sunday.  Busy, busy!   My mom is coming down on April 24th, so lots of cleaning to do before then too!

FM51: Quilting

 

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge :

1. Make a project using the "Quilted Cards Technique".
2. Or Make a project using "something that's been forgotten (sitting in your stash forever)".
3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a "Quilted card with something you've forgotten about".

The challenge at the Friday Mashup this week is to make a Quilt Card or use something neglected from your stash.  I tried mashing it up with my quilted heart and using Peach Parfait and a sentiment that hasn't been inked in ages.  Hopefully I made it.   Be sure to go see the other beautiful projects from the other design team members! 

I'm keeping this short and sweet today.  It has not been a good day creatively for me and I done trying for now.  I've cried over both cards I've tried making and am ready for a break.  Thank goodness March Madness resumes tonight.  Basketball makes me happy.  

Little Bit of Laila

It's been a bit since I posted anything about Miss Laila, so I thought I'd share a few pictures today.  :)

Here's another image from our 21 week ultrasound.   She really liked to show off her hands and feet.  :)

Gray clothes hamper!   Score!  I was so happy to find this, but bummed that I didn't get the matching trash can.   Since it was at Home Goods, waiting wasn't a good idea.  It was gone when I went back this week. 

One of the cute outfits my mom found at her local thrift store.  Gotta love a good deal! 

Of course I had to pick her up a little something at the thirty-one party I went to.  :)

Jason says she's spoiled already.  Here's the top of her closet.  Most of these were Eli's that he never got old enough to play with, so I hope they will finally get used.   

That's about it for now.  I would love some advice on a project I'm wanting to start.  I bought the letters to put her name on the wall and I really want to cover them in designer paper.   If anyone has any suggestions of yellow and gray papers that might work, let me know!   I need to browse through my SU papers and maybe some images of retired papers.   :)    

Have a wonderful Thursday!

FMS27: Butterflies

 

Here we go again!  Time for another challenging sketch from Freshly Made Sketches!   Lesley totally threw me for a loop with this one.  I have a second card I started on my desk for this one because I wasn't sure the first one really worked.  Of course I got lazy and distracted, so it's still sitting there in pieces.   I'll try to finish it up and post it this week.   Here's the first one though:

I had some butterflies left over from our technique project at club, so I decided to put them to use on this card.  I thought they would work okay for the circular elements.   I tried to add a bit of dimension to them by curling up the wings a bit and added a solid punched one behind them.  To add some interest to the background, I used the diagonal plate for my Simply Scored board.   I'll admit that it isn't my favorite card and I could tell from Jason's reaction that it wasn't his either.  LOL   They all can't be winners, right?  :)  

I hope you'll join us this week and show us just what this sketch can do! 

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Oh my goodness!  I'm so excited!!!!!!  Don't you love when you wake up in the morning to awesome news?  I do and that happened today!   Remember this card?

This morning I found out that Shellie picked it as a winner for her Sale-A-Bration Creative Challenge!   I'm so excited!!!!!    I get to pick a free stamp set from the current catalog, so I know what I'll be doing today!  Jason already asks me all the time if I have the catalog memorized...I really might after today! 

Now I hope I don't wake up to find out I dreamed up all this!   :)   

FM50: Faux Pearls

 

1. Make a project using the "Sketch".
2. Or Make a project using the "Faux Mother of Pearl Technique".
3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a "project using the Faux Mother of Pearl Technique & the Sketch.

Time for a new challenge from The Friday Mashup!   Heidi is hosting this week and has a great challenge with the awesome sketch pictured above along with a fun technique.  I had a great time making my card and I bet you will too if you'll play along!  

There's those darn Itty Bitty flowers again!  I told you I needed an intervention.  :)   I also used a much neglected set, Best Friends Forever.   It was a freebie from Convention and not one I'd normally buy.  When I do use it I always love the cards, so I'm thinking I need to use it more often.  

Stamps:  Best Friends Forever, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink:  Soft Suede, Early Espresso

Paper:  Early Espresso, Soft Suede, So Saffron, Glossy White, Neutrals DSP stack

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Scallop Circles #2 die, 3 inch circle die, Tasteful Trim die, Itty Bitty punch pack, Modern Label punch, Word Window punch, Champagne Shimmer Paint, basic pearls, sponges

Before I go, one other announcement and it's an exciting one!   To celebrate the 50th challenge, The Friday Mashup is having a Blog Candy Blowout!   Each of the design team members has some candy on their blog that's up for grabs!    To win, you'll need to do the following:

1.  Play along with the challenge!  

2.  Visit and comment on each of the DT member's blog.

3.  Live in either the US or Canada. 

We will be drawing winners on Thursday, March 22nd.   Each blog will have a unique winner to spread the love around.  :)    Here's what I'll be giving away from my blog:

Designer Frames Embossing Folders!  Woot!