All You Need Is...

Happy Saturday!   It feels like a bit of a long day here.  I had a headache earlier and ended up sleeping it off and then working on some fundraiser cards that are on my to-do list.   I needed a bit of a fun break after dinner, so I grabbed my SSS August kit and did a bit of stamping.  I keep looking at it and hate to use the paper, but there's really no point in getting it if I need to save everything, right?!   So, tonight I cut it.  *gasp*  Just a simple card, but I am finally embracing the white and enjoy simple.   

Now I want some ice cream.  Sigh.   I keep hearing from my northern friends about them being cold and I just sit here sweating and being jealous.  I do miss being a bit north where there are seasons.  Texas is just hot, hotter, and then less humid.  

Laila's most favorite thing in the world right now is unpacking the grocery bags.   Her eyes light up and she hops up in the chair to dig in.  It's funny, but now she's learning what everything is and wants this or that immediately.  She found the granola bars today and oh man!  lol   She usually eats pretty well, like salmon, risotto, and broccoli last night, so we do let her have granola bars and trail mix as a treat sometimes.  I figure it's better than straight up candy.   I feel lucky that she eats as well as she does because I hear some horror stories from my friends about their food battles with their kids.   We have enough battles without adding another one.  Ha!  

Stampin' Up! Endless Wishes

I had a total "work day" today and managed to finish up my samples for my class and get all the supplies ordered.  Now I just need to finish up a set fo cards I'm donating to a silent auction and do birthday cards for my sister-in-law and my niece.   So much stamping!   This one was CASEd from a sample that Stampin' Up! posted back last year when this set was released.  It's such an awesome set and I am so glad it's going to be available again.  Just a couple more weeks to wait.

And here's my final version of this one we are making.   The last design still needs some things that are coming in my order, so I'll share it with you later.  

My little helper was having lunch when I took my pictures today, but she gave me some smiles to share.  :)  

AEIHeartU Kraft

I took a little break from "work stamping" to play along with the AEIHeartU Challenge and CAS(E) this Sketch.  I love kraft, so it was a perfect challenge for me; I think I also managed the sketch even though my sentiment is a bit different?  I wasn't sure and didn't originally link it because of that, but I decided to go back and do it since I did start out with the sketch.  I used the stars and sentiment from the AE Party Animal set.  The rest is just die cutting.   Easy, peasy!

Red is so perfect with kraft.  I think I would be happy to just stamp with those two colors forever.   Do you have a favorite color combination?   I normally like stamping with blues, so this has been a nice change for me.  Something different to mix things up.  :o) 

She just had to have me take her picture when she saw the camera.   We have had the best day today and I am so thankful.  We went out to lunch and then to Whole Foods.   I put her in the shopping cart that looks like a car and she "drove" all around the store.   Long nap, woke up happy, and is still laughing and playing. It hasn't been too bad of a week so far, so I hope this trend continues for a while.   

Stampin' Up! Festival of Trees

Freshly Made Sketches day!   It's my turn to host this week and I have a fun sketch (I think).   I had to use some of my new goodies from the upcoming holiday catalog because I am a bit in love with these trees!   I did have to pull out some retired designer paper, so forgive me on that.   I didn't have any current paper in Pool Party.   What?!  I love non-traditional Christmas colors and cards, so these trees are going to be a new favorite and will have a permanent spot on my shelf for sure!

You can interpret those strips in several different ways.  Be sure to check out the design team blog to see all the ideas that we came up with.   My card is *almost* all Stampin' Up!  My sequin addiction got the best of me in the end though.  

She saw me with my camera and asked me to take a picture.  She's so funny because she'll go stand but then keep moving backwards.   Bandit decided to photobomb I guess.  It was near bedtime and he gets a bit of wet food then, so he's pacing and waiting.  I don't see them much all day, but around seven every evening they all come out of hiding.  :o)    I'm typing this on Tuesday night and it has actually been an okay day.   For the past three to four months Tuesdays have been the day we both end up in tears by the end of the day.   I don't know what it is, but the cats are always bad and Laila has a rough time. It ends up just being crazy all around.   Today was good though and I am thankful.   Yesterday we got some great news about some health issues my dad has been having, so I also super thankful for that.  I hope he feels better soon and I'm REALLY hoping that my parents make a trip down soon.  I miss them and Laila does as well.

I'm off to read more of my book!  I can't decide if I want to read or stamp once she goes to bed, but reading is winning out tonight.  I'm worn out and ready to relax.

Stampin' Up! Festival of Trees

Laila has been taking a super long nap today, so I have had time to work on some samples for my upcoming class.  It usually takes me making quite a few before I narrow it down to the actual projects we'll make.  This one was inspired by a sample in the holiday catalog and I don't think it will make the cut.  I am going to try changing up a few things, so you'll see a different version (or two) in the future.  

Stamps:  Festival of Trees, Greetings of the Season
Ink:  White Craft, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Daffodil Delight, Versamark
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Tools:  Hearts & Stars Decorative Masks, Tree Punch
Accessories:  Linen Thread, Cherry Cobbler Embossing Powder

Greetings of the Season is one of the sets that you can still get right now.  Once the new holiday catalog starts on August 28th, that won't be the case. To see all the carryover items, look here.

She is back on the sunglasses kick!  lol   I love it.   She's also back into reading after a slight break, so I'm happy about that as well.   I don't always love reading the same book over and over, but whatever it takes to keep her love of books going.    I hear her up, so I'll stop here and go get my after-nap snuggles.  :)

Happy Mail

This might be my last of the Dare to Get Dirty cards.  I was hoping to do a bunch of stamping yesterday and today, but it just didn't happen.  Sometimes I wish I could just have an entire day to do what I want.  Maybe I should ask for that for my birthday or Christmas?  :-)   I never realized how much I'd miss peeing alone or silence!   I know time is short, so I try to remember that time alone and silence will come and probably before I'm ready for it.   Anyway... this is a pretty simple card.  I used the awesome bee from Nature Walk. It's retired, so I hope you have it in your stash.  Great set for sure.   I sponged some So Saffron and Crushed Curry over a Heidi Swapp stencil for my hexagons.  The awesome sentiment is from Winnie & Walter.  I love that big happy.  

Laila got a late birthday present from my cousin Kelly this week.  She had a blast opening it all up.  It was nice for a bit of a distraction.   It was not a good week in many, many ways.   She is on a fake crying kick and it is so exhausting.   Tuesday was horrible as usual and I ended up crying and wondering what I was doing having a child.   Lately I just feel pulled in so many directions and so behind on everything.  The house never stays clean no matter how hard I try to work on it.  The laundry usually gets done, but folded is another story.   If I fold with Laila here, she unfolds faster than I fold.  The cats and Jason add in a lot of mess as well.  I do what I can, but that means most of it is halfway done or not at all.  I am thankful to get to stay home with Laila, but sometimes I think going to work and hiring a house cleaner would be heaven.   I keep thinking that maybe it is time to give up Stampin' Up! so that I'm not pressured to hold events.  I'm trying to hang in there in hopes of Laila getting in to a mom's day out program.  We are first on the waiting list and I'm crossing everything that someone drops.

Enough rambling... the dishes are waiting.  I just wanted to get my card posted so I can have all my DTGD cards on Splitcoast.   Thanks for listening to my rambling.

Stampin' Up! Branch Out

I didn't get to stamp yesterday, but I still have another card that I haven't shared with you yet.  This is another Dare to Get Dirty challenge card. I don't know if I'll get anymore made for the challenges, but I've had a lot of fun so far.  For this one I used two favorite stamps, Hardwood and Branch Out (Thanks, Pat!).   The window is from my Cameo.  That thing sure comes in handy!   Chocolate Chip and Island Indigo are a very lovely color combination aren't they?

Laila's Hope Calendar pictures were yesterday and we got a little preview of them already.  They turned out great!   Debi is just such a great photographer.   After the pictures wasn't good and we had a bit of a rough day, but we survived and are here to try another day!

Post by Debi Gomez, Life's Images Photography.

Robots and Blackberry Bliss

Still working away at the Dare to Get Dirty challenges!   I am enjoying them and finding myself very motivated to stamp.  That's a good thing!    This one was super fun to make.  It uses a lot of stuff!  Stampin' Up! paper in Pacific Point and Basic Black, Lawn Fawn stamps, and some cuts from my Silhouette Cameo.  

Also for the challenges.  I LOVE this one.  I admit that I am not a fan of gold, but I am loving how it looks with Blackberry Bliss.   I totally recommend that you try that combination and soon.  :)  

With this new email program I have, I get notifications of when people subscribe and unsubscribe to my blog.  It seems to more of the latter lately and I feel bad.  I hope you guys aren't getting tired of Laila or my projects.  I am guessing it is partly because I've decided to branch out a bit and use a wide range of products instead of only Stampin' Up!   I'm still a demo and will be for a while, but I am now buying and stamping with what I like.   If it's SU, that's great...if it's not, that's great too.   This is really just a hobby for me and I'm just having fun.   I hope you'll continue to find inspiration in my work and remember, you can always be inspired and make it your own with whatever products YOU love.  :)