Happy Birthday!

We are kicking off the holiday week with birthday celebrations!  Today is my wonderful husband Jason's birthday and tomorrow is mine.   While it sucks to have a December birthday, it is great to be married to someone who gets it.  I always get a REAL birthday present, not a combination birthday/Christmas present, dinner out, and some sort of yummy dessert.   

To make Jason's day start off special, I made this yummy oven omelet this morning.   I did add a bit of chopped onion and some fresh baby spinach to ours.  It was pretty darn good too! 

This week was really trying at work for Jason, so I wanted to make him a funny card.  Or at least one that would make him smile really big.  :)   We have an on-going Dr. Who joke about the Tardis, so I thought I'd try to make a Tardis.  (I don't watch the show, but I always seem to wake up and hear Tardis on the TV).  I am not a punch art person, nor do I draw or even write very well, so this was definitely a challenge!   It isn't the best card, but he smiled until his face hurt.   I'm calling that a success!   Me and the kitties got him the newest Call of Duty game too, so he should be all set to blow up things today!

FM 37: Distressed Labels

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge :

1. Make a project featuring "Chipboard (Precut or Diecut )".
2. Or Make a project using "Distressing (w/ ink, scissors or the Cutter Tool Kit)".
3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a "Distressed Project featuring Chipboard"

For a distressed, vintage card, that picture sure is loud!   Yikes.   I hope you have your sunglasses handy.   I am accepting donations to the "Rita Needs a Photography Class" fund by the way.  :)   

This week at the Friday Mashup Heidi has a super fun challenge for everyone.    If you are like me and put your chipboard up for safekeeping and can't find it, you can just do a card using distressing.  If you are more organized and know where your chipboard is, you could mash it up and use chipboard and distressing.   Or just chipboard.  So many options, right?   I love these challenges!    

You are getting a lovely sneak peek at some upcoming products from the Occasions Mini and Sale-a-Bration.   I'll pause and give you time to gasp and maybe jump up and down a bit.   

All done?  So yeah, there's awesome new paper and some stamp sets that have matching Framelit dies!   This was my first time using them and well...  I LOVE THEM!   I think I got a bit carried away with my sponging and distressing; I guess I can always say I dropped it in a mud puddle or something.  :)   Distressing is a great way to get rid of those holiday frustrations, so I highly recommend it this week.  Tear, rip, sponge, tear...you get it, right?   :)   

I hope you'll find the time to come play along with us!

Stamps:  Apothecary Art (I always think of the Pottery Barn Apothecary Table episode of Friends)  :)

Ink:  Soft Suede, Poppy Parade, Pool Party, Lucky Limeade

Paper:  Poppy Parade, Pool Party, Lucky Limeade, Everyday Enchantment DSP (SAB), Whisper White

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels Framelit dies, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, brayer, cutter kit, sponges, basic pearls

Clearance Rack Blitz!

Oh my!   Just in time to treat YOURSELF for the holidays, Stampin' Up! has updated the Clearance Rack with over 200 new items!   I already placed my order this morning because as for any clearance sale, it is only while supplies last!    Be sure to visit my online store to shop today!  

Keep in mind:

Clearance Rack merchandise can only be ordered online through my store.

All punches are going to be the old whale tail style, not the newer style.

Non-clearance rack merchandise can also be added to orders.  

Qualifying orders of $150+ are eligible for hostess benefits.  

FMS 15: Be My Valentine

Time for our last sketch of the year at Freshly Made Sketches!   Cindy designed our sketch this week and boy did she challenge us!    I am not good with tilted anything on cards, so it took me a bit of time to figure out what I wanted to make.   I am officially done thinking about Christmas cards, so I moved on to the next fun holiday, Valentine's Day!   Crazy, huh?  

It feels a bit plain to me, but I wasn't sure what else to do with it.  I wanted to add some embossing, but I wasn't sure it would look right on the pink panels.   Greeting Card Kids is seriously the most adorable stamp set ever.  I love it!   I wish we had a few sets of them covering every possible holiday and event.  :)    

I hope you'll play along with us this week before the craziness of the holidays sets in next week!  

Stamps:  Petite Pairs, Greeting Card Kids, I Heart Hearts

Ink:  Real Red, Pretty in Pink, Daffodil Delight, Blush Blossom (marker), Staz On Black

Paper:  Real Red, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Brights and Subtles DSP stacks

Tools/Accessories:  Blender Pen, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, small heart punch, Pretty in Pink 1/8 taffeta ribbon (retired)

PP76: Gold, Cherry, & Vanilla

It is time for the final Paper Players challenge of the year!  Ann is taking us out with a bang and a gorgeous clean-and-simple color combination.   It is perfect to sneak in one more Christmas card for the year!  

I HAD to use Bright Hopes again.  It has less than a month left as a current stamp set and I am going to miss it so, so much!   It is one of my all time favorite sets for sure!   I was excited to use my birthday present too!  I treated myself to the Tasteful Trim die with my birthday discount and I am so happy to finally own it!    I couldn't wait to use it, so it is an early birthday present of sorts.  :)   I love looking at creations with a lot of white space, so I tired to leave a bit more on my card this time.  I'm not sure that I'd call it successful, but I did try at least.   

I found this cool sketch at Card Patterns and wanted to use it for my card:

  

I hope you will join us in this final challenge for the year!  

Stamps:  Bright Hopes

Ink:  Versamark

Paper:  Brushed Gold, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla

Tools/Accessories:   Big Shot, Tasteful Trim die, Scallop Circles #2 die, 3-inch circle die, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, Cherry Cobbler embossing powder, Cherry Cobbler seam binding, Champagne Shimmer Paint

FM36: Brrrr!

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge :

1. Make a project featuring "Snowmen".
2. Or Make a project using the colors "Blushing Bride, Baja Breeze & Basic Grey".
3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a "Snowman project with the colors Blushing Bride, Baja Breeze & Basic Grey".

Baby, it IS cold outside!  Brrrr!!!  It has been in the 30s the last few nights and that is super cold for us Texans!  It is time for a new challenge at The Friday Mashup!  Kim is our hostess this week and challenged us with a set of fun colors and snowmen!   Guess who LOVES SNOWMEN???!!!!!    ME!!!!!!!!!!!    

As you can see, I cheated a bit and didn't mash it up this week.   I got a box full of new Stampin' Up! goodies on Tuesday and I just had to cut into my new paper!    Isn't it gorgeous?   Best of all?  It was free!   Gotta love Sale-a-bration, especially when it comes early for us demonstrators!  :)    I hope snowmen can be vintage 'cause mine is trying his best to be!   I think he's rockin' the look; do you?  

Stamps:  Snow Much Fun

Ink:  Soft Suede, Pool Party, Lucky Limeade, Poppy Parade, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Staz On Black

Paper:  Lucky Limeade, Poppy Parade, Pool Party, Whisper White, Everyday Enchantment DSP (SAB)

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Scallop Circles #2 die, 3 inch circle die, sponges, blender pen, Color Spritzer tool

I hope you'll find time to join us at The Friday Mashup this week!   How you can resist making a card with SNOWMEN?!  :)   

FMS14: Gray Snowman

Time for another Freshly Made sketch!  Jen Timko is our hostess this week and challenged us with a card full of panels!  I am not a panel card kinda girl as I create to get away from too much thinking, but it is good to get those neurons firing sometimes.   I have a nice little drawing with some serious fractions on it on my desk after figuring this one out.  :)    I guess I am still okay at math after all these years.  

I know, snowmen AGAIN!  I can't stop using this set!  It is seriously the most awesome set and if you don't have it yet, GET IT!   For my card, I decided to forgo the square card and do a traditional A2 card.  I find that my square cards are collecting in my bin and never getting mailed out, so I really need to figure out the correct postage on them or stop making them.  I have been in a pretty gloomy mood lately, so I imagine that's why I picked these colors.  They kinda work though, right?  And I did add glitter!

I hope you'll come play along with us this week!

Stamps:  Snow Much Fun

Ink:  Basic Black, Baja Breeze, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Staz On Black, Bashful Blue

Paper:  Pick Your Poison DSP, Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Whisper White

Tools/Accessories: Big Shot, Northern Frost Decorative Strip die, Blender Pen, Dazzling Details, Basics Glimmer Brads

How on earth is that comfortable?   That boy is so silly!   Little sister is always by his side too!

PP75: A Dinosaur Christmas

I have the honor of being the guest designer this month at The Paper Players.  I love spending time with my amazing friends over there; they are such a great group of women!   For the first December challenge, Nance asked us to create something for Christmas without using traditional holiday stamps or colors.   I was a bit stumped with this one and still dealing with a never-ending sinus headache, so my card is a bit silly.   I hope you'll find it fun though. I ended up really liking it and would love to make them as my personal card this year. It's just so different and I would think anyone receiving it would just have to smile! 

What do you think?  Too silly?  The more I look at him, the more I laugh!   I love him!   I decided to use both non-traditional colors and stamps for my card.  Maybe the Friday Mashup is rubbing off on me a bit?  :o)   I was trying to find a good dinosaur color combination and settled on Not Quite Navy (my favorite SU color), Pool Party, and So Saffron.  Dino looked a bit washed out in saffron, so I changed him up to More Mustard so you could see him better.  I probably could have left off the distressing, but I thought I'd add it in there since Ann kept hers clean this time.   Somebody had to use the 7-sided tool and sponges, right?  I added a bit of glitter to the stocking because even dinosaurs need a little bling at Christmas!  

I do want to say a HUGE thank you to my friend Brandi for reminding me about the hat from Crab & Company.   I was going to try to make one from the pennant set and punch and I have a feeling that would have made my headache much, much worse.  

I hope you enjoyed my card and will pull out YOUR non-Christmas stuff and create something fun with us! 

Stamps:  Dinoroar, Petite Pairs, Crab & Company (retired), Northern Hearts

Ink:  More Mustard, So Saffron, Not Quite Navy, Pool Party, Staz On black

Paper:  So Saffron, Not Quite Navy, Pool Party, Whisper White, retired designer paper

Tools/Accessories:  Cutter Kit, Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, sponges, Dazzling Details