Stampin' Up! Tag It

Today I wanted to share one of my scrapbook pages I made for the Convention displays.  When I started off as a paper crafter, I started doing my wedding album and my intent was to ONLY do that.   Well, 8 years and who knows how much money later, I'm still going.  lol   I actually don't like scrapbooking now though.  I feel like my pages are very unpolished and kinda ugly, so I tend to avoid it as much as possible.  This page is okay, but still doesn't have a polished, professional look to me.   Maybe I should practice more...   The picture is cute at least.  ;)

Stampin' Up! Perfect Blend

This week I worked on some cards for my next event, an open stamping day.   I design the cards, send a picture and supply list to customers, and then they bring their consumables and make them using my stamps/inks/tools.  I always provide sketches with the measurements for them so that they can use them again for other ideas at home.  I love that they have the experience of cutting and making everything all by themselves.  :)  I used the awesome sketch at Retrosketches this week for this card we'll be making.

Stamps:  Gorgeous Grunge, Perfect Blend, Happy Hour
Ink:  Versamark, Early Espresso
Paper:  Early Espresso, Sahara Sand, Pear Pizzazz, Gingham Garden DSP
Tools:   Small Heart Punch

My little kitchen helper.  :)  She loves her whisk.  Today has been a better day.  We went to the program at the library and then to the craft stores to look around.   It was nice to get out of the house for a bit.  It was over 100 degrees again today, but we had a nice storm come through this evening and it's cooler now.   Thank goodness for that!

Stampin' Up! Zoo Babies

Time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches!  I'm the hostess this week and I created a simple sketch with a trio of circles.

Stamps:  Zoo Babies, Something to Celebrate (retired)
Ink:  Elegant Eggplant, Island Indigo
Paper:  Basic Gray, Island Indigo, Whisper White
Tools:  1 3/4, 1, and 1 1/4 circle punches

For my card I did a very clean-and-simple card with the adorable Zoo Babies set.   I picked a color combination from the Color Coach that looked interesting, grabbed my circle punches, and got down to business.   It's not a great card, which is kinda bad on my hostess week, but my heart just isn't into stamping right now.  It's been a rough week already for me and I want to hide in bed rather than stamp.   Hopefully that will go away and I'll get back to enjoying it.  Just feeling a bit off I guess. Family issues and a little one who refuses naps and bedtime will do that.  

Poor girl.  We gave her some treats in her little snack cup and she started shaking it like crazy.  The cats thought she had treats for them so they swarmed her.  She was a bit confused why they were running TO her rather than AWAY from her.  :) 

Stampin' Up! Gorgeous Grunge

Here's another of my Convention display samples.  This one uses Gorgeous Grunge to make a splatterific birthday card.  

Stamps: Gorgeous Grunge, Perfectly Penned

Ink:  Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush

Paper:  Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush, Whisper White, In Color DSP stack

Accessories:  Ginormous Rhinestones, Basic Rhinestones, White Baker's Twine

Tools:   Big Shot, Tasteful Trim die, Pennant Punch

LOL  You never know what you'll find in the playroom bins!  I guess they are a good place to nap if you are a feline.

Scrap Card Sunday Butterflies

I spent a lot of the day stamping, but most of it was for my open stamping event that's happening in a couple of weeks.  I thought it was NEXT Sunday and I was totally freaking out!  Once I figured out that it was actually TWO weeks away, I took a break to do my scrap card.  :)   This one uses an old Deconstructed Sketch.  It's pretty simple, but kinda different for me.

Stamps:  Sweet Essentials
Ink:  Wild Wasabi
Paper: Pool Party, Wild Wasabi, Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Whisper White
Accessories:  Basic Pearls
Tools:  Small Butterfly punch, 1 3/8 square punch, Big Shot, Beautiful Wings embosslit

Laila loves to help out in the kitchen and pull all her "dishes" out of her cabinet over and over all day long.  She does not love when she can't reach the bottle of bay leaves that fell between the counter and the refrigerator.  In fact, a meltdown of sorts was needed.  

Stampin' Up! Gorgeous Grunge

Sharing another of my display samples today.   This one uses emboss resist again, but this time with the Gorgeous Grunge set.  Simple, but I like it.  :) I wish I'd left the piercing off, but I think this one was made in the middle of our water issue.  We went a few days with no water, I had to move my stamping to the hot dining room because my wall had a leak, and it was just miserable all around.  I think I needed to take out some anger, so piercing it was...  Better paper than people, right?! 

Stamps:  Gorgeous Grunge, Happy Day

Ink:  Versamark, Coastal Cabana, Bermuda Bay

Paper:  Coastal Cabana, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White, In Color DSP stack

Accessories:  Basic Pearls

Tools:  Heat Tool, clear embossing powder, sponges, small butterfly punch, stabbing tool

Laila and I went to our second home (you probably call it Target) yesterday and she was tired after our shopping.  Even though it is less than five minutes from there to home, she crashed.   I was able to move her to her bed and she stayed asleep.  Now THAT'S tired!  She took two great naps yesterday and ate a ton...growth spurt maybe?  

Seize The Sketch #1

The amazing Lesley has created another fun challenge blog!   This one is called Seize the Sketch and this week is their first sketch.   I had to go play along of course.  :)   I used some of my new contraband but also some of my fun SU stuff too!

Stamps:  Sweet Essentials

Ink:  Old Olive

Paper:  Whisper White, Melon Mambo, PTI White, scraps

Accessories:  SU Washi Tapes, Brights buttons, WRMK baker's twine

Tools:  Big Shot, Sizzix Star framelits, Merry Minis punch pack

Someone was trying really hard to get my coffee this morning!  :)  

Stampin' Up! Zoo Babies (remix edition)

Jason is taking a gift to his pregnant coworker tomorrow and needed a baby card to go with it.  I thought about sending this card, but he told me her nursery was pink and green so I just couldn't!  It's been a long week already, so I decided to CASE myself and remake the same card in different colors.  I think it turned out pretty darn cute in Old Olive and Melon Mambo.  :)

Stamps:  Zoo Babies
Ink: Melon Mambo, Old Olive
Paper:  Old Olive, Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz, Brights Core'dinations pack, Brights DSP stack (retired)
Accessories:  Brights buttons (retired), White Baker's Twine
Tools:  Big Shot, Alphabet Press EF, Perfect Pennants die, 2 1/2 inch circle punch, sanding block

This top picture of Eli is one of my absolute favorites.  It was taken on Thanksgiving of 2008.   We had no idea he was seriously ill until a few days after Christmas.   In a matter of 2 weeks he went from a healthy looking baby to this poor thing in the bottom picture.  SMA is such a cruel disease and I recommend anyone thinking about having kids to be tested for their carrier status.  Laila is a carrier and I am so thankful that we know that already.  I hope she will never endure losing a child like we did.  Knowledge is power.