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!)

She's here!

At 3:38pm yesterday the doctor delivered this lovely little girl.   I probably shouldn't say little since she weighed in at 8 pounds 9 ounces and was 21 inches long!   We had no idea she was going to be quite so big.  :) We are totally in love with her even though she kept us up ALL NIGHT last night.  Now that she's sleeping peacefully today, everyone and their mom is coming in to do something in our room so there's no rest for us.   I'm just crossing my fingers that we can go home tomorrow and maybe sleep then.  

Nursery Photos (No Stamping!)

I didn't get to stamp today and probably won't tomorrow, so I thought I'd share a few nursery pictures before we headed to the hospital on Wednesday.  I have no idea when I'll be back with a card, but hopefully I'll have some baby pictures to share by the weekend! 

Laila's bag is packed and ready to go.  I really hope her coming home outfit won't be too big!   We are taking some newborn sized stuff just in case, but it won't be as cute as this little dress that we both love.

Crib, complete with giant sock monkey!   (Don't worry, he'll be finding a new home soon!)

Our rocking and reading corner.   She's been so lucky to have received almost a bookshelf full of books!  I hope she loves reading as much as I do!

I braved IKEA yesterday and found this cute lamp.   I love it.   Notice the gorgeous MDS framed art made by my awesome friend, Mindy!

My friend and club member Shannon made these cute letters.   Now she should remember her name.  :)

One of my Pinterest-inspried crafts, fabric covered embroidery hoops. 

The dresser/changing table area.  I love that it can grow with her and become a desk later.  I hope she'll stamp on it one day!  

So we are ready!   Just need the baby.  :)     Thanks for all the support and all the wonderful comments about my work for the past few weeks.  I had a nice run of mojo here at the end and had a blast creating.   I hope it won't be too long before I can find myself back in my room stamping.   I'm lucky that Jason works 3 days a week and is a hands-on dad.   I should have some "me time" once I feel like I can sit comfortably!

Card Patterns 171

Last night I started a card using this fun sketch from Card Patterns but tired out before I could finished it.   I was able to finish it this morning since I was up at 4am.   I hate that I can't sleep these last few days that I actually can, but what can you do?   I think this baby girl is already getting me on a schedule to wake up every 2 hours and I'm helpless to stop her.  lol   Anyway...  I pulled the colors from an old colourQ challenge and used a few of my new goodies to make this one.

I'm still figuring out my new Summer Silhouettes stamp set.   I'm thinking it might be one I should have bought in wood.   I tried to eyeball the little turquoise flowers and didn't get them where I wanted them.   I should know by now that I need my Stamp-a-ma-jig for everything or else I'll not be happy with how it turns out!   Close is only good in horseshoes, NOT stamping.  :)   I paired it with an awesome new butterfly from Papillon Potpourri and a neutral gray button.   Pretty simple card, but a fun one for summer I think!

Stamps:  Summer Silhouettes, Papillon Potpourri

Ink:  Lucky Limeade, Tempting Turquoise, Wisteria Wonder

Paper:  Lucky Limeade, Tempting Turquoise, Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White, In Colors DSP stack

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Fancy Fan embossing folder, Labels Collection Framelits, Elegant Butterfly punch,  Wisteria Wonder Baker's Twine, Neutrals buttons, Basic Pearls

3 more days until Laila arrives!!!!    :)

Color Coached!

I think I must have used up all my mojo for the month over the past few weeks!  :(  This week has been a total bust, but today I decided I needed to try to stamp something.   I didn't see a current challenge that spoke to me, so I grabbed the Color Coach, picked a set of colors, and then grabbed a stamp set.   I didn't have anything in mind to make, but after playing around a little, here's what I came up with.

I had planned to use more of my new goodies, but French Foliage was looking a bit sad on my shelf.  I decided to show it some love today.   It is one of my favorite sets but it's more of a fall set...normally.   :)   We'll just pretend that there are blue leaves somewhere, okay?    I did manage to get one new product on here, the Finishing Touches edgelits.   I thought this one would look perfect with the Netting background.   So yay me, I stamped!

Only 4 more days until we meet our little girl!    Needless to say we Jason has a lot to do to get ready.   I am pretty miserable and uncomfortable at this point, so even sitting or walking hurts.  I'm useless and so thankful that I have a husband who is amazing at getting things done.  He's done way more nesting that I have this time.  Hopefully we'll be home by this time next week and I'll be able to share some pictures!  I appreciate all the comments and support you all have shared over this journey!  (HUGS)

Stamps:  French Foliage, Netting background

Ink:  Midnight Muse, Bashful Blue, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake

Paper: Midnight Muse, Bashful Blue, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, First Edition DSP

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Finishing Touches Edgelits, Chery Cobbler baker's twine, Neutrals buttons, Color Spritzing tool, Cutter Kit (retired), sponges

Paper Players Celebration!

My wonderful friends at The Paper Players are celebrating their 100th challenge this week!   Back in May of last year, they were kind enough to ask me to serve as a guest designer and things have only gotten better for me since then.   I am so thankful to them for giving me a chance at being on a design team.  I know it has made a huge difference in my stamping abilities and has motivated me to increase my skills and try other challenges.    Love you ladies and congratulations on this huge milestone!    

My first challenge as a guest designer was challenge #45, a theme challenge from LeAnne and asked us to use Birds, Bees, Flowers, and Trees.   I thought it was only fitting that I go back and do this one.  :)    I had more new products that I wanted to try out, so I pulled them out and got to work!    First I used the amazing Natural Compositions Designer Paper for the cool background you see.   That stuff is awesome!   It's an easy and mess-free way to do some cool emboss resist.    I think it looks great with one of the new in colors, Midnight Muse and one of my favorite new stamp sets, Summer Silhouettes.    This style and color combination are way, way, WAY outside my comfort zone, but the Color Coach recommended them and I thought I'd go with it!    Not a typical Rita card using bright colors and cute stamps, but I hope you'll like it anyway.  

Stamps:  Summer Silhouettes, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink:  Midnight Muse, Rich Razzleberry, More Mustard

Paper:  Midnight Muse, Rich Razzleberry, More Mustard, Whisper White, Natural Composition DSP

Tools/Accessories:   Big Shot, Finishing Touches Edgelits, Ticket Corner punch, Modern Label punch, Word Window punch, More Mustard 1/4 grosgrain ribbon (retired), Brights buttons, Linen Thread, Basic Pearls, Color Spritzer tool

Sweet Sunday Mashup Cake

  
Last night I figured out around bedtime that I didn't have any clean pants to wear to the doctor today.  Last minute washing meant I had to stay up and wait to dry them, so I decided to stamp a bit while I waited.   I wanted to play along with my buddies over at The Friday Mashup so I used the colors from the latest challenge along with the sketch from the Sweet Sunday Sketch challenge.   I thought they would work well together for my new favorite stamp set, Topsy-Turvy Celebration!  

I wish I'd embossed the Daffodil Delight DSP, but it takes me a while to get out of my chair these days.    I am thankful to have a hobby that I can sit down and lose myself in though.   This last month of pregnancy has been difficult and to have a distraction has been amazing!    I thought I wouldn't feel like creating anything but have really hit a nice streak of mojo.   I am sure that will end next week when Laila arrives, but I'm trying to enjoy it until then.   :)  

Stamps:  Topsy-Turvy Celebration

Ink:  Daffodil Delight, Pool Party, Rich Razzleberry

Paper:  Daffodil Delight, Pool Party, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Brights DSP stack

Tools/Accessories:  Brights buttons, Basic Rhinestones, Frost White Shimmer Paint, Dazzling Details

Melon Birthday Birds

  

Sunday mornings are a favorite of mine and I am up early enjoying the next to last one I have before Laila arrives.   I can't help but wonder if she'll be an early bird like me or sleep in like Jason.   Since I've craved all the foods that HE likes, I'm thinking she's going to be like her daddy.  :)    I had wanted to stamp last night but we started watching Game of Thrones and then I got caught up reading Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter (I know!  What?!).  Thankfully I still remembered the card I wanted to make when I woke up this morning.   It combines the fun colors at Dynamic Duos with the bird challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments.

Something I learned while making this... Staz-On before 8am is not necessarily a good idea, nor is fussy cutting.  :)   I powered through my issues and finished it though.   Aviary is one of those sets that had been on my wishlist for ages and ages and I finally got it on my last order.    I just love how cute it is!   I love it in these colors too!   Off topic, but does anyone else always want to call it Mambo Melon or is that just me?

Stamps:  Aviary, Something to Celebrate (retired)

Ink:  Staz-on Black, Melon Mambo

Paper:  Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Cheerful Treat DSP

Tool/Accessories:  Stamp-a-ma-jig, Basic Pearls, Black satin ribbon (retired)