Remember Super Parents?

I blogged about Doodle Factory's newest release several days ago and finally got a chance to use these great new sets.

This is Super Mom with her sentiment.  How awesome is she?!  Doesn't she look great?  I wish I could be her- perfect make-up, perfect hair, a snappy outfit and a kick butt attitude!  ;)

The paper is Marracheck from Basic Grey.  I also used one of the new EK Success punches- scallop photo corner.  These punches are great because they take up a lot less room and have great designs!

TCPTUES55- Pirate birthday

Lauren needed a birthday card for a classmate's party.  I thought he might enjoy a pirate card.  :)

The sketch was simple and fun.  It called for an embellishment on the bottom left part of the card.  I had some bigger brads that matched nicely but they needed something.  I cut up Yo Ho Ho and stamped each word onto each brad with Jet Black Stazon.  It was a little messy but I think it turned out alright.

Tired of death

Man, this last month has been so hard.

I lost my third friend in a month today.  I am feeling overwhelmed and unable to grieve.  

I may take a couple of days off to just process things.

Hope your 2009 is going better than mine.

2 Sketches 4 You-Kazan's sketch 24

My TCP card and this card look very similar.  I just loved this sketch and used it for my other challenge.  It was fun and easy.

Stella Ruby paper and Saltbox Designs stamps.  The brown behind the stripe paper is actually ribbon!  :D

TCPTUES54- Cactus card

This week's challenge was to use stamps from the Havin' A Pow Wow stamp set from the Cat's Pajamas.

Guess what?

I don't have that set!!!

Wow.  I seriously heard everyone's gasp of shock and horror from here!  I like the set but didn't buy it because I'm just not a cowboy kind of gal.

I still wanted to play along though.  I love TCP tuesday and look forward to it every week.  Hmmmm... what do I have that will work...  I have this little cactus (old TCP stamp), maybe some flowers, what saying will I use though...

This is what I came up with-

I lived in Tucson for years and remember the beauty of the cactus flowers.  They are amazing colors!  Very bright and so pretty.

Hope you liked it.  :D

Make a card in 20 mins or less challenge

I am not at the point in my card making skills where I can throw away a crappy card.  I will peel off the layers, cut more paper, cut more ribbon, stamp another image, etc. until I am happy with it.  Sometimes it takes me way more than 20 minutes to make just one card.  :P  So when I saw Glenda's challenge on the A Muse Lounge, I decided to give it a try.  Can I really make a card in less than 20 minutes?!

I discovered that no, I can't.  But it's not what you think...

3:30 Sit down to make card

3:34 Kids friend comments that my house is messy but theirs is clean.  Wallow is self pity and wonder if I should be cleaning instead of card making...  Put away some paper and then decide to get back on track and make the card.  Cleaning can wait.  

3:39 6 year old comes and says, 'Look at the menu I wrote for dinner!'  Admire said menu with pictures and sounded out words until 6 year old happily skips away to recruit siblings to make the dinner and play restaurant tonight.

3:42  7 year old comes and says, 'Can I dance ballet upstairs?'  Yes, go dance ballet.

3:45 3 children come through the living room on the way to the office to print copies of the menu for the family.  I must stop and tell them that their 3 year old brother took all the paper out of the printer to make pictures of all the pets he wants to get for his birthday (April 20th)  and they need to go find the paper, stack it neatly and put it back into the printer.

3:47 Mom calls and had a bad day at school.  Little stinkers at school are stealing.   Talk to my dad too and tell him thank you for sending the 3 year olds train table for his upcoming birthday.  Hand the phone off to the kids to talk with grandma.

 While talking on the phone with my mom, holding the phone with my shoulder and trying to make my card-

The 13 year old says, 'Mom, move your eyebrows!'  My eyebrows are not moving very well since I had Botox yesterday (for migraines) and the 13 year old laughs in an EVIL way.

The 6 year old has returned with a penny.  She says, "Give it to me when I am done."  Done with WHAT? I wonder...

*Now I am holding one penny, the phone and various card making supplies all at once.

Everyone seems to be running in and out of the basement.  No one is remembering to shut the door and chilly air is creeping inside!  Brrrrrrr!

4:14 Hang up with Mom.  Tell 13 year old that she may not charge family members for their meals at the restaurant tonight.  Listen to her argue that it will only be $3 a person.  Anyone in need of a teenager?

4:21 Have a wrestling match with my Koyoto adhesive thing because it is at the end of the roll and gummed up.  I think that happened when I was trying to stick my card together, hold a penny and phone at the same time.  Make a mental note to buy more adhesive at A Muse tomorrow.  Take a second to do the happy dance!

This card took 20 minutes or less.  I am sure of it.  Minus all the distractions, I probably had that puppy whipped up in 20 SECONDS!  

Yeah, right...

A Muse lounge challenge #4- think simple, think A Muse

I love A Muse images. They are simple but they also have a ton of character and are really fun. I just bought my first Saltbox Co. image from the on saturday and thought I would ink it up for this challenge.

It doesn't get more simple than that.  :)  I just cut out the rectangle and stamped the image inside it.  I colored it with my copics and added some new ribbon I recently bought.  I really like this card even though it is very different from my normal style.

Double points at CHF until midnight tonite (mst)

Who doesn't love Kim Hughes designs?!  She is an AMAZING artist, scrapbooker and card maker.  If you haven't seen her blog, what are you waiting for?  I am inspired by each and every one of her creations!  I make a lot of my cards with her designs and they can be found at www.cornishheritagefarms.com.

Cornish heritage farms has the coolest points system.  For every purchase, you earn points that can be added up to $ off your order!  How cool is that!  Every now and then, they have a double points offer and it is totally worth taking advantage of.  They are having one until midnight tonight (mst).  It is a great time to build up a super coupon if you are already signed up for the program or a great time to earn your first points if you are a new customer.

I bought many of Kim's sets that I have been dying to have and will post some art with them later in the week.  I just got some emails that they have shipped so I will be stalking the mailman until they come!  LOL 

Did you have a happy Easter?

Spring is coming to Washington.  Everything is turning green, budding and blooming.  I am reminded of the resurrection and the renewal of life.  I am so grateful for my family and friends.  :)

AMYRS64- Song of my heart

Amy had a fun sketch up this week. I bought this set a long time ago but haven't inked it up. I like the sketchy look of it. :)
The paper is from Cosmo Cricket. It is a little fancier that I usually like but I thought the colors were very pretty.

TCPTUES53- searching for jelly beans

Susiestampalot was the hostess with the mostess this week.  The challenge was to use-

Raspberry Pink

Pumpkin Orange 

Sunny Yellow

I just got this new paper from a company called Orange Milk Lab.  It is from the morning milk collection and was just the right.  :)

I also just got a new set of Nestabilities- Labels Two.  

The super cute rabbit totally caught my eye in this set.  :)  I love that he is digging out of the bottom of the jar for the very last of the jelly beans.  :)  The sentiment says- 'There's no such thing as too much candy'.  And guess what???  It's a Halloween stamp!  I guess my Halloween bug wasn't out yet.

Wanna win some Starving Artistamps?!

If you read my blog on a regular basis, you will know what a SUPER FAN I am of Starving Artistamps Doodle Factory line.  They have some insanely cute characters, great sentiments and they recently added background stamps for your images.  And these background stamps are SO COOL!  There is a jungle scene and a city scene, just to name a few.

Hop on over to Starving Artistamps or click on these links to see the NEW stuff-

DoodleFactory Oh Baby!

Sentiments Baby!

DoodleFactory Super Parents

DoodleFactory Neighborhood

Don't you love it?!  Wanna win your VERY OWN SET?  Click here for the details.

Personally, I have the patience of a gnat and already ordered my set.  I can't wait to ink it up.

Enjoy!

My poor Mel

Today has been a tough day.  We took Mel to the park and had a great time.  Then I ran to the ATM to deposit a check.  While I was there (maybe 5 mins), Mel began to thrash and threw up on the drivers seat.  Then he was dead.  I am just sick about it.  I don't know what could have happened.  I KNOW he was healthy and getting stronger everyday.  He died within seconds.

I loved Mel.  He was sweet and gentle.  He was loving to the kids and a great pet.  I miss him terribly and would do anything to have him back.

Casing Tobi's Place

I saw a super cute card layout on the Tobi's Place blog. This is another blog I stalk but I don't do the challenges. :P

I bought the Urban Prairie rub-ons but haven't used them yet. I love the Urban Prairie paper though. It is almost time for me to buy another 6x6 paper packet. ;)

I have a Cuttlebug die that makes different postage stamp shapes. It is fun to use and a gives everything a cute frame.

The scalloped edge is made using a Martha Stewart punch. These are about $14.99 at Michaels but you can use a 40% coupon on them. Woo hoo! This makes them very affordable IMO.

If you live in Seattle,

I hope you will come to the Spring Fling at the Pacific Science Center tomorrow and see me.  :)

I will be in the touch area with reptiles.  Mel (pictured in my blog header) and I will be there teaching people about bearded dragons.  It is going to be a lot of fun and we'd love it if you can come by.

2 Sketches 4 You-Kazan's sketch 23

Sparkle plays along with the challenges on this site so I thought I would give it a try.  :D

Both sketches were really fun.

I needed a pet sympathy card :( and thought that the circle sketch was elegant and simple.  The paper is from Papertrey, the flowers, paw print stamp and buttons are from TAC and I make the sentiment with my snap stamps.  

The happy day card is made using Papertrey paper, A Muse stamps and TAC flowers and buttons.

TCPTUES52- Froggy grills

Man!  This was a HARD challenge for me this week!  I think I cut up paper for 3 different cards...

I was at Ben Franklin today and saw this new Cosmo Cricket paper.  I had to have it!  In order to justify my purchase ;) I used my new paper on the card.

I am not sure what got into me either...  maybe  it was starting over so many times and then all my ideas crashed together...

Ideas-

1.  I love this BBQ stamp and have had it for a long but I don't think I've inked it before.  Isn't that tragic?!

2.  My Halloween stamp set was screaming to be used.  Why?  I don't know.  IRL, the frog had a wizard hat.  I chopped that off and gave him the chefs hat.  The smoke coming off the grill is also from that set.  It looks a little like heavy smoke.  I guess that's what happens when frogs cook.

3.  I wanted to make a masculine card.  The butterfly isn't exactly masculine though.  

I still like the card and the layout.  It is just wicked busy.  Here's a card tip- Decide on one idea and stick with it.  Otherwise you will have a Halloween birthday card made with girly paper.

Please come again.  The cards will get better.  I promise.

AMYRS63- Blooming

Amy Rysavy had another super cute sketch that I wanted to try.  :)

I got this paper from Papertrey Ink last year.  I haven't used much of it but I love it.  It is a warm green but so fresh and springy too.

How often do we have patterned paper and don't even think about stamping on?  It is a great look and can really compliment your stamped images.  

I stamped the flower 3 times on different patterned papers.  Then I cut up the different layers and layered the flower.  It gives it great dimension and I think it makes a fun focal point.

No tricks here! Origami book give away!

I love reading the zakka life crafts blog.  

I get tons of great, crafty ideas.  And I love the variety of projects found here.  

There is a great give away going on right now for a terrific origami book!  Here's the link-

http://zakkalife.blogspot.com/2009/04/book-giveaway-origami-card-craft.html

There was a post on the 30th that shows you some of the projects in the book.  One of my favorites is the Secret Slipcase.  I would love to make this project.  Wouldn't it be a perfect way to give some gift cards?!

I am also hoping that the project on the cover is included in the book.  :)