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.  :)  

Quint-Essential Stamp!

While Jason and Laila were napping tonight I spent a little time in my craft room.  :)   I had this flower sitting on my desk for a few weeks now and decided it was time to get it ON a card.   The Quint-Essential Flower stamp is pretty cool if you like punches and layers.  I added even more layers to make it larger and a nicer focal point.   I promise I won't use this color combination again for a while.  I know I've used it a ton lately but it's just so cool!  

Stamps:  Quint-Essential Flower, Tiny Tags

Ink:  Marina Mist, Midnight Muse, Gumball Green

Paper:  Marina Mist, Midnight Muse, Gumball Green, Whisper White, Polka Dot Parade DSP

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Scallop Circle #2 die (retired), 3-inch circle die, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, 2 1/2 inch circle punch, 2 3/8 scallop circle punch, 1 3/4 scallop circle punch, 1-inch circle punch, 3/4 inch circle punch, 1/2 inch circle punch, Jewelry Tag punch, Essentials Paper Piercing Pack, Whisper White 3/8 taffeta ribbon

Those arms and legs just never stop moving!  Tomorrow we go for her 2 week check-up so send lots of positive thoughts our way.   She's being monitored for a slight heart murmur and I think she's having issues gaining weight as well.  We have switched up some things with nursing and will see a lactation consultant on Thursday.   Small worries, but after losing Eli I tend to freak out a little over even the slightest of things.   

DD10: Razzleberry Flower

Being a new mom is tough at times, so I keep trying to fit in some stamping time to give myself a bit of a mental break.  The evenings have been very challenging for sure; what is it that makes babies so fussy around that time? Anyway, tonight I worked on a card for one of my favorite challenges, Dynamic Duos.  I wanted to make a non-embellished card that I could easily mail off to my granny this week.   

I really love the Natural Composition DSP.   It's awesome that you can make it any color you want or leave it in its natural state.  :)   I paired it with the gorgeous Summer Silhouettes stamp set.  Just a simple card, but I hope my granny will like it.  I hear that she shows off and keeps anything I send her, so that makes me feel good that she enjoys my work. 

Stamps:  Summer Silhouettes, Best Yet (retired)

Ink:  Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry

Paper:  Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Whisper White, Natural Composition DSP, Brights DSP stack

Tools/Accessories:  Stamp-a-ma-jig, sponges

Don't ask your husband how much he thinks the baby weighs. lol  I think we were pretty sleep deprived at this point.   :)

FMS42: Topsy-Turvy Cake

Last night I started working on a card to play along with my buddies at Freshly Made Sketches.  I finished it this morning, but when I went to stamp the back of it with my personalized stamp, I smudged the Dazzling Details I'd put on the candles.  :(   So...I had to redo the image panel again!   A bit frustrating to say the least.  I used a different sentiment the second time around and I don't like it as much as the first.   I gave up though and decided it is what it is.   I'm just happy to have found some creative time!  

I used my favorite new color combination again.  It is just perfect for masculine/boy cards that are bright and fun!    I think this stamp set is my favorite from the new catalog so far. :)    

I have to share Miss Laila a bit before I go.  :)  I love this onesie but I doubt it is going to fit anymore.  She is almost out of the newborn sizes!  

DD9: Crumb Cake Plus!

Good morning!   Up a little early this morning, so I thought I'd finish and post the card I started working on last night.   My parents left to go back home today so Mom had lots of Laila time yesterday.  I took advantage of that and headed into my craft room for some stamping time.    I had a pretty weepy day on Wednesday so I know it's important for me to try and get my "therapy" started back up.   :)   I wanted to play along with the challenge from Dynamic Duos this week.   I totally missed the deadline to submit it for the challenge, but it was fun to make anyway.   

I used a mix of old and new products on this one.   My sweet friend Marla was kind enough to gift me her Inspired by Nature stamp set and I just had to use it.   It was always a favorite of mine but I never did buy it for some reason.   I don't know why I love cone flowers so much, but I find myself drawn to this stamp set and the actual flowers themselves when we visit the local arboretum.  I also used a new stamp set, the gorgeous Papillon Potpourri.   I just love those butterflies!   What do you think about Crumb Cake paired with Island Indigo?   I like it, but Island Indigo is one of my favorite SU colors.   I also tried out the new piercing products and I have to say, GET IT!   I can see that quickly becoming a favorite set of tools.

Stamps:  Inspired by Nature (retired), Papillon Potpourri, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink:  Crumb Cake, Island Indigo

Paper:  Crumb Cake, Island Indigo, Whisper White, 2011-2013 In Color DSP stack, Neutrals DSP stack

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Scallop Circles #2 die (retired), 3-inch circle die, Finishing Touches Edgelit, 2 1/2 circle punch, Modern Label punch, Word Window punch, Paper Piercing pack w/ mat, Basic Pearls

You know I can't post without sharing a picture of our new bundle of joy.  :)   

Happy 4th of July

Wishing everyone a safe holiday!    I'm hoping to sneak into my stamp room today and clean it up a bit.   Maybe...and that's a pretty BIG maybe...I can find some time to stamp within the next few days.   I think I need a little creative break.  Having company and a new baby is exhausting and I need a little quiet time for me.   I'm so thankful to have a wonderful husband who loves spending time with his daughter.   That makes it easier to sneak in a little break every now and then.  :) 

A bit more Laila...

4am is the perfect time for a new blog post, right?  :)    Laila is having one of those restless nights so I got up with her so that her daddy could get a bit of rest. I managed to sneak in a nap yesterday but he didn't and I know he's exhausted.   He worked on laundry, kept my parents company, and shopped for groceries so he definitely deserves a break.   I'm used to being up this time of morning anyway; I guess she prepared me well before she came out!  She's been a wonderful baby so far and we are just loving her to pieces.    She's sleeping in my lap right now; not sure why that works and her bed doesn't?  Silly girl!  

Anyway...on to some pictures!   Our anesthesiologist seemed to fancy himself as a bit of a photographer and snapped some pictures for us after they completed my c-section.   This is one of my favorites as I think you can see the joy in our faces.   I know I started crying as soon as I heard her loud cry, so any tears you see there are pure happiness.  

Here was the end of her sleepless night at the hospital.   Jason stayed up with her most of the night because I was just so worn out.   He's the most amazing dad.   He's changed most of her diapers so far and is helping me any way he can to make nursing her easier.   I always have a nice full glass of water at my side, pillows tucked behind my back, and someone to help me get her all settled in to sleep.   He actually got up to bring her in the living room tonight so that I could sleep, but I knew he was exhausted.   He always puts us first and deserves a little rest himself.   

This final picture is one of my favorites!   We snapped it on Friday after we got home with her.  She was so bright-eyed and alert.   She's just so darn cute.   I know we both find ourselves smiling at her even at 3am after she's been awake for hours.   There's just something about a baby...  

Celebrating Grandmothers

I'm so thrilled to have had time to participate in this blog hop for my sweet friend Linda!    I am so excited for her and her grandbaby-to-be.   I met Linda almost a year ago at the Stampin' Up! Convention in Utah and I feel like we've been buddies ever since.   Being on the Freshly Made Sketches design team together has been awesome and I hope we both survive these new babies to stamp together again this fall.  :)

The inspiration for our hop is the beautiful quote above along with our relationship with our own grandmother.   I admit that this was a difficult card for me to make.  My paternal grandmother passed away on my birthday last year and being pregnant and sick, I was not able to travel home to say goodbye.    She was truly an amazing woman who was more like a second mom to me and I hope this card honors both her memory and celebrates my happiness for Linda.    

There's so much inspiration from my grandmother (or Mamaw as we called her) in this card.   She passed on her love of quilts to me, so I chose to make a Top-Note quilt card.   One of my cherished possessions is a handmade quilt that she and my Papaw were given for their 50th wedding anniversary.   I am thankful that she gave it to me while I was still able to say thank you.    Another element is the flower stamp; growing up she always had a beautiful flower garden that we "helped" with each year.   She grew Marigolds and we would help her dry the flowers and save the seeds for next year's planting.   Finally, the button...    Mamaw always had this tin of buttons in her cabinet and as a child, they were my favorite thing to play with.   A few Christmases ago I was gifted a jar of buttons from that tin.   The button featured on here is one of them.  There's such a variety in my jar, so I hope to use them on special cards like this now and then.   

So that's my card and my inspiration.   I hope Linda will like this card...and I hope I can find time to put it in the mail!  She inspired a piece on it, the "turkey platter".   One of her posts called the embossed oval a turkey platter and it makes me laugh each time I use it!    I just had to put it on my card. :)    Congratulations, Linda!  I'm so excited for you and your family.   

Be sure to hop on over to the other blogs if you haven't been there already!   Also stop by Linda's blog and offer up some congratulations and any grandmotherly advice you might have to share!   

Lesley Croghan

Mary Fish

Cindy Hall

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

Nance Leedy

Jen Mitchell

Tui Nathan

LeAnne Pugliese

Ann Schach

Jennifer Timko

Rita Wright (you are here!)