Thank You Leaves

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge:

1. Make a project with "Leaves".
2. Or Make a project saying "Thank You".
3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a "Thank You project with Leaves".

I'm the hostess this week at The Friday Mashup!  I'm sad to say that this is my last week as part of the team.  Life is just getting too busy and I can't keep up with everything I have on my plate.  I have so little stamping time these days and I need to devote it to my business as much as I can.   I've had such a wonderful time with this group of ladies and I'll definitely try to play along with some of the challenges if I get a chance.   

So on to the card, right?!   This is a NON-clean version of this week's sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.  :) I loved it so much that I wanted to make another card but add in some sponging and distressing. 

I have had a few questions for my club cards from last month, so I wanted to do a similar card and answer a few questions.  The background is the new Core'dinations cardstock that has been embossed and sanded.  Easy!   The leaves use the oldest stamping technique that we've all been doing for years, rock n'roll!  I just LOVE French Foliage as it works so great with that technique!  

My little purple girl.   We needed a break from all the pink today! 

FMS61: Happy Birthday!

Freshly Made Sketches Day!   :)   Jen T. gave us this fun sketch to work with and as always, lots of possibilities.   I had a specific kind of card in mind because today just happens to be my super awesome friend Anne Marie's birthday!!!!!   Now if you know Anne Marie at all, you know that she LOVES and I do mean LOVES pink.  She is also a big fan of bling and glitter.   So...

Pink, glitter, bling.  All there.  Happy Birthday Anne Marie!!!!!!!

Laila even wore all pink in your honor.  :)

Just checking in...

Sorry guys!  I'm still here!  Just a busy weekend that ended up with a not so lovely stomach virus or food poisoning.  Not sure which, but either way it was NOT fun!   I am all better now, but that meant today was full of errands and then a rush to make my card for Freshly Made Sketches!  Yikes!   I finished, so I think I'm still on the team.  lol   Anyway, I finally took a better picture of our club card and wanted to post it.   It was quite a hit and I think almost everyone bought the super awesome Natural Composition DSP.  Do you have it yet?  If not, GET IT!  

Seriously, can you imagine how impressed your friends would be to get this in the mail and find out that you MADE it!   That's why I just love Stampin' Up! so much.  It's easy to put together beautiful creations like this.   I'll be sending this one out early to my sweet friend Marla to thank her for encouraging me to use it as a club card.  It's awesome to have fellow demonstrators to share ideas with.   (Thanks, iPhones!)

Stamps:  Ornament Keepsakes

Ink:  Midnight Muse, Versamark

Paper: Midnight Muse, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Natural Composition DSP

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Ornament framelits, heat tool, Iridescent Ice embossing powder, Festive paper piecing pack, Basic Rhinestones, Midnight Muse stitched ribbon

Lately there has been a war of sorts between baby and cat.   They either want to lay on her blanket OR they want to play with her toys.   Bandit is particularly fond of this soft blanket, so if we forget and leave it spread out, we'll find him all stretched out on it.

Keep Calm and Mash It Up!

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge:

1. Make a project with "Dry Embossing".
2. Or Make a project using the colors " Daffodil Delight, Basic Grey & Basic Black".
3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a project with "Dry Embossing & The Color Combo".

Isn't this a great challenge from the Friday Mashup?   I think that picture is just gorgeous!   These are some of my absolute favorite colors together so I was happy when I finally found time to get a card made.  This week has been SO busy and I still have stamp club tomorrow night!   Thank heavens for coffee!  

Okay, so somewhere in the short distance between the laptop and my craft desk I forgot about the dry embossing part.  I pulled out some paper and I think I just got distracted by the polka dots.   I did get the colors though, so yay for something right.   I hadn't inked up this set yet, so I figured it was about time.   I wasn't sure about it at first, but I ended up getting when I had a little hostess money left over and wasn't sure what I wanted to use it for.   I think it's trendy enough that maybe it will help my card sales a bit.  *fingers crossed*

Stamps:  Carry On

Ink:  Basic Gray, Basic Black, Daffodil Delight

Paper: Basic Gray, Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Perfect Polka Dots DSP, Whisper White

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Bitty Banner Framelits, White Baker's Twine, Dazzling Diamonds 

I love how happy she is most of the time!  

Freshly Made Flower

Whew!  I hope everyone survived the election.  I know some of you in the swing states have to be super happy that it's over!   Now you can answer your phones again.  :)    It's Wednesday and that means it is time for a new sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.  Tui is our hostess and designer this week; isn't her sketch great?!   I was limited on time to put my card together this week and was so thankful for such a versatile sketch that was easy to work with.  

Today has been a weird day for Laila.  She's either been napping or crying.  Thankfully we got the replacement part for her swing yesterday so she was able to relax and take a LONG nap in it today.  I hope the aftermath of the shots goes away soon so that we can have our sweetie back.   After that we need to work on adjusting for this time change because mommy and daddy are getting tired.  

One of my friends gave me the idea to take a yearly Halloween picture with a pumpkin, so here it is!  :)  We had a lot of work to get her to actually look up!   Pumpkins are super interesting you know!

Stamp Club

It's time for stamp club again this week!  I went to extremes this time, a simple card (above) and a fancier card which I'll post below.  This simple card features Gently Falling, one of my favorite sets!  I used the layout and idea from Maile's card and Tami's technique to get this one to come together.   

I am excited to share a few techniques with my group and I hope they will enjoy learning them.  I seriously have the best group of ladies anyone could ask for.  They are always so excited to come and spend time together.  There's no bickering (yay) but lots of sharing, laughing, and eating!  It just doesn't get any better than that, right?   Here's our second card (sorry for the Instagram photo; I'm being lazy tonight): 

 Isn't it gorgeous?  I just love this paper and I LOVE Midnight Muse!  It's such an awesome color!  

Edited to add, the paper here is the Natural Composition paper.   I had a few emails about it but no way to contact the people asking.  If you have a question about any of my cards, please email me.  Just leaving a comment on my blog doesn't always allow me to email you back; it just depends on how you have your profile set up whether your email address is included or not.   I am not the best at answering, I'll go ahead and tell you that.  Laila is requiring more and more attention so my time is limited for stamping, blogging, and email.   I can only imagine how it will be once she's mobile!  Yikes!

Laila decided she must hold the book herself while we were reading.  Umm...yeah.  I guess she's having vision troubles and had to get it closer to read?   So silly.   I'm going to try to add a video below but I don't know if it will work or not.   It's pretty funny!  

Success!

Woo Hoo!   This is card #35 and the LAST one of the Hope You Can Cling To challenges.  I finished ALL of them!!!   I'm so proud of myself.  I struggle to accomplish my goals lately, so completing this one that's for sure a great cause makes me so happy!    This card is for Teresa's ta ta toe challenge.  My squares were pink, patterned paper, and buttons.   I used Donna's card for inspiration as I thought it was such a perfect cheerful card.  

Stamps:  Apple Blossoms (retired)

Ink:  Melon Mambo

Paper: Crumb Cake, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, retired Bashful Blue DSP

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, non-SU cloud die, Lots of Tags sizzlits, Brights & Subtles buttons, Brights brads, White Baker's Twine

Laila had her 4 month check-up today and was 15lbs 4 oz and 25 1/2 inches long!   She's staying right on her growth curve and doing great.   She wasn't very happy about her shots, but she calmed down fast and came home and crashed.   I hope she doesn't get a fever like last time as it took forever to go away.   I just love her doctor; you can tell that she just loves babies.  She kept talking about how cute Laila was.  I think both her and the nurse said she should be the Gerber baby.  :)   She's our little Ultimate Grand Supreme for sure.  lol

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!