My first time using...

Pale Plum! I have a bunch of Pale Plum cardstock from the 2 assorted Soft Subtle cardstock packs that I has bought over the last couple of years, but tonight was the first time I had ever cut into a sheet. I never even realized it until tonight (random thought, I know...but hey, it was what was on my mind at the time!)

Stamps Set: Stampendous - Open Bloom Wood Set
Ink Used: Tsukineko Brilliance Dew Drops Pearlescent Crimson
Paper Used: Pale Plum (base cs), Sage Shadow, 2 different sheets from the Basic Grey Phoebe 6x6 pad
Accessories: Michael's ribbon, Paper Piercer, Paper Snips!

So... I finally got to stamp and finish the card that I started on Sunday. And I used my new Open Bloom Wood set and Tsukineko Brilliance Dew Drops for the first time on this card too. Which of course I got from eclectic Paperie. ;) ... You know how I feel about shopping. I hate to have to search and browse - I'd rather just stick to just a couple of places for ease, convenience and customer service! :)

Anyways, back to the card - I really love this set - there are 2 center stamps to choose from and I really like the font of the sentiment. The flower is so versatile and so pretty too. I can totally see myself both just stamping it on colored CS and just leaving it be (like this card) or stamping it on white CS and coloring it in. There seems to be a lot you can do with this image. So on this card, all I did was stamp it on the BG cs, cut it out with my oh-so handy dandy paper snips (I have been cutting out like crazy since I got them - these scissors make it so much easier!) and just popping them up on dimensionals. You know, I never thought that I would be a flower person. I was never a girly-girl, but I find myself really drawn to flowers lately. I guess I am just changing a little bit like that...I still have been buying boy stamps for the kids' books and cards, but I have noticed that I have been buying more and more girly stuff too (then again, I just have been buying more papercrafting stuff in general, LOL!).

Oh yeah back to the card AGAIN...I also colored my own ribbon, because (as usual) I didn't have any to match the card (I REALLY need to work on my ribbon stash, methinks!). So I just ran the ribbon across the dew drop and voila! - matching ribbon. I saw it done this way on another blog. And the only other thing to the card really was the paper piercing and then I used the tip of the dew drop to to some faux stitching. Overall a very easy card, but I am happy with how it turned out nonetheless. :)

A quick thought about the ink...I really hadn't ever tried any other ink before besides SU and I guess, Versamark and Staz-On, all of which I got from SU, but I figured, hey - why not... so I got a couple of the Brilliance Dew Drops with my last eP order. I read that they were pigment inks and I find myself lately using more of the craft inks plus I liked the idea of pearlescent pigment ink (it just sounded neat - LOL!). And let me tell ya, this ink is soooo pretty in real life. It really is so fun to spread your wings and try new things! ;) The pearlescent ink has a subtle shimmer which looked very cool, in my opinion. So I will definitely be getting a few more of these and while I am thinking about it, I will probably get a few of the Tsukineko Versamagic Dew Drops too, just to see firsthand what they are all about, because chalk inks seem to be all the rage. I have never tried chalk ink, but I like the idea that they dry quickly, are good for my scrapbooks and still have great opaque coverage. The pigment Dew Drops did need some drying time to avoid smudging, but I am getting used to it, since I have been reaching for my craft spots a lot lately.

Oh yeah, 2 last thoughts before I go to bed... I actually got more stamping in tonight, but I am going to wait to post the other card, because it is for a IA swap. I really like how that came out too! And secondly - I had decided to get a blog banner made (why not, right?! - it's all just for me anyway.... and if nothing else, at least my blog will look prettier to me! LOL) and went right over to Beth of Freckled Fun Designs. She has done a lot of other stampers' blogs and I really like her style. And I love reading her blog too - she has a great sense of humor. Anyway, it is my turn for my banner (since she custom designs them herself, she does 1 at a time) and we have been e-mailing over the last couple of days and my banner is just about done. I absolutely LOVE how it turned out and can't wait to get it up on the blog. She really is absolutely so creative.

And I am sooo excited to share it with anyone who actually takes time out of their busy day to stop by! ;)

Starting a New Week, and I Hope To...

Stamp a card! I can't believe that Sunday night is here already and I am getting ready to go to bed to start a new work week. The week has flown by. It was a great first week at work - I just jumped right in and had a big deal to work on from the word "go" - and that was before I even had my computer and phone set up. So it was a very hectic week, with not too much time to myself (since I never made it home before 8pm), before just going to bed and getting up for another day. And the weekend definitely followed suit. We were out most of both days of the weekend doing family stuff and before I knew it, it was bath time for the kiddos, reading stories, and time for bed.

But at the very least, I did scrap 2 pages with my SIL, soon-to-be SIL and a few friends. We get together 1x a month and do something SU papercrafting related (my SIL is a demo). Today's theme was scrapbooking. We had decided the layout ahead of time so we were all able to get a 2 page layout done in less than 2 hours (which is super speedy for me). Other than that... well I did manage to get a card started, but I didn't finish it yet. I'll have to wrap that one up - hopefully this week.

Maybe things fall into place this week and I find myself a routine.

But again, NO complaints whatsoever about the first week back. I got quite a bit accomplished as far as first weeks back at work go (defintiely a little pat on my pat!) And one of the late nights was to have a few drinks with my new co-workers to celebrate someone getting engaged. :P

But I am going to work to get some stamping back in. So hopefully the next time I post, it will be with a new card! And YES, J - please stay on my case about stamping and creating. And those new images will DEFINITELY be making their way to you sometime soon! Have a great Monday!

YAY for me!

Look at what I came home to today?

So today was my first day back at work. It was a great and very productive day. I got through most the first day stuff, like getting my ID badge, e-mail, computer and phone set up, but also just hit the ground running and got down to some real work. It was great to just get back in stride again.

Event thought the day ran a little bit late, I was soooo happy that the boys were still up when I got home. I know that it will be tough when things are busy at work, but nothing beats seeing their excited faces when I walk through the door. My littlest guy just came tearing at top speed across the kitchen floor to jump in my arms. There is no beating the feeling I get when I see that loving look on their faces. I just absolutely melt. Everything we do is for them. I just want to give them everything they absolutely deserve, both emotionally and materially.

I spent time with the boys for a bit and then tucked them into bed. After having dinner, I dug through my box of goodies from eclecticpaperie.com. Isn't is all absolutely FA-BUUUU-LOUS?!! It was such a great way to wind down my day - just going through my box of new stuff - tons of paper (Fancy Pants, Crate Paper, BG, Chatterbox, Cosmo Cricket), stickles, primas, inks, stamps, more things to alter (I really better get going on my purse now!!). Boy - was that box stuffed!! But Daisy did such a great job so carefully packing it all into the flat rate box, which was wonderful of her. I have to admit that I actually ordered 3 times in a matter of 2 days (have I said how much I love the stuff in their store?!). But she was so mindful of my shipping costs and so considerate that she just put everything in one flat rate box. Yay for me again!

I so definitely recommend shopping at eP - you won't be disappointed. I just LOVE the boutique feel of the store - it has such great products (and really wonderful product depth and selection) that are right up my alley! :) I am definitely the kind of shopper who does not have the patience to go through tons and tons of stuff first before I find what I want. When that happens, I usually don't end up getting anything. I guess I just don't have that patience. LOL I'd much rather a boutique where I love everything. Don't get me wrong, I love unearthing a great deal as much as the next person, but I have to admit, I'm usually not that person who will take the time to pick through and find it. My sister-in-law, on the otherhand, is the queen of finding the deals. By nature, I am the kind of person that if I see it on the clothes displayed on the rack right there in my face, and I like it, then I usually just buy the whole outfit. LOL So shopping at eP is almost TOO easy for me - I'd love to take 1 (or even 2 or 3!) of everything I see!

I can't wait to start creating. But it won't be tonight. Hopefully tomorrow if I have some more time and get home a bit earlier.

Butterflies of Anticipation

No stamping today for me, because I have been getting ready for my first day of work, both mentally and physically.

I unexpectedly took a longer maternity leave than originally after the birth of my 3rd kiddo, but it is time to get back in that saddle. I am really excited, but just have to get by the butterflies of anticipation. I know that once I get my groove going everything will be great. I have a rockin' career and am anxious to get it going again.

I have been busy for the last few weeks since I was able to nail down my start date. It is going to be a big shift in our family routine, but we are ready for it. It means everything that everyone in the family is behind me all the way. My guys have been making me lots of signs and congratulatory notes. SOOOO sweet. I love them so much.

On another note, I have promised myself to be better about a few things this time around. I have always been a career working mother, but after being a SAHM for the past short while, I have gotten a change in perspective, which I want to use to my benefit. I am going to make sure that I maintain better balance in my life. In the past I have only been about career and family and not too much else. All hobbies that I ever tried to pursue kinda fell by the way side, sooner or later. Even my stamping and scrapping came to a screeching halt just 6-9 months after I started back in 5/04. And then I didn't pick it up until a year ago!! I know that I want to keep up my hobby so that I can continue to get better and more importantly, continue to enjoy it! :)

So wish me luck. Here...I...go!

ETA: Here I went! I must have pressed save to draft instead of publish - oops.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Stamps Used: Inky Antics Girly Girl (thanks Laura!), sentiment from SU Birthday Best
CS Used: Lavendar Lace, PP from Basic Grey - Phoebe Collection
Ink Used: Basic Black
Accessories: SU Ribbon (Green Apple, I think), Brads from OTC, Prismas and Gamsol, CB-HB Embossing Folder, Nail File (for sanding)

So this card is not totally St. Paddy's-ish, but I did make it on St. Paddy's Day and it does have some green! ;) I definitely have an appreciation now for St. Paddy's Day (even though I am no longer in college LOL) as my kids are 1/8 Irish! ;)

This is actually my first attempt at doing the Featured Stamper challenge on SCS. I did the FSC from last week, when the challenge featured AtomicButterfly. She has an AMAZING gallery. I found the card right away that I wanted to copy. I changed the stamps, PP and colors of the card. But I kept the same basic layout (minus 1 layer b/c my image was bigger than hers) and I used the same exact CB embossing folder too. I sanded the embossed PP too. She used a sanding block, but since I didn't have one, I used the nail file that I use on my blending stumps. I am really happy about how it turned out.

By the way, I wasn't sure if I was even going to be able to post today, as the power went out here in the middle of the night - I guess due to the ice storm! We had to hunt down all of the carbon monoxide detectors in the house (everyone should have them, by the way), b/c they all started beeping once the power went out. Or else we'd never be able to get back to sleep with all the chirping from the detectors. When we woke up, the power was still out and the house was freezing. It finally came back on couple of hours after we woke up. It was a chilly few hours. It makes me remember to be SOOOO thankful for all that we have. We take the heat and PSE&G for granted in the brutally cold winter. I wonder how people who don't have heat, or homes for that matter, make it through the winter!!

My "Take Ten" Card

This is the card that I made this afternoon while everyone was home for the snow day. By the way, it did end up snowing quite a bit today, so everything in that earlier pic was covered in white by the end of the day. But it was not really a blizzard of regular light-weight snow, but more like heavy slushy snow that fell steadily throughout the day. Then it turned to ice by the end of the day. I still don't think that it should have been a true snow day...but definitely an early dismissal day, for sure. ;) I STILL can't believe that it was 70 degrees this past Wednesday... what is up with our environment (I shudder to think!)??

Stamps Used: Inky Antics and the Happy Birthday sentiment from SU Birthday Best
CS: Buckaroo Blue, Old Olive, Brocade Blue, PP from Scenic Route
Ink Used: Basic Black, Cranberry Crisp
Accessories: CM Cutting System (for the circle), SU Ribbon, CB Tiny Tags Die (can't stop using these!), Slot Punch, Dimensionals

So back to the card. Here's a little bit to set it up. I was reading AmyR's blog, which I love and check out pretty much every day (thanks to the always-efficient, Google Reader), and she mentioned a great post Asela's blog today. So I went to go check it out - and what a great blog she has (as I add it to my Google Reader)! :) Anyway, I noticed that she had an entry about all the places to submit your work for publication (which was all connected to the previous post that Amy pointed out in the first place on her blog... but I won't get into that, because it is whole 'nother post, and a world that I really am not a part of at all (people who are all REAL artists and all the feelings and thing, good and bad, that go along with it...as for me, well - I just kinda do my thing on the proverbial sidelines, so to speak ;) ) ANYWAY... I still I have such a problem with tangents when I write. I think it is b/c here, I write like I am speaking to a friend or something (soooo different from work).

ANYWAY, just for fun, I wanted to check out what the requirements, of some of the publications, were for submissions. I had never checked one out before. I've entered a contest here for there for fun (didn't win, obviously), but never submitted. So I saw the Stampington site and checked out Take Ten, b/c I had heard of the publication mentioned on other people's blog. The current challenge was to create a card based on a sketch in 10 minutes (OOOHHH - smacks head as the light bulb goes off... that's why they call it Take Ten! LOL) So I decided to try it.

I know now that I will never be able to submit a card for this mag - LOL . I can't create a card in 30-40 minutes, let along 10 minutes. It takes me waaay too long... and that's with me being given the sketch. So I figured that I would post my attempt here instead. :) I made this card for my BF from HS' son's 1st birthday (did you get all that?! LOL). I hope they like it.

Maybe I'll try again sometime soon and just not think about it too much. Or...maybe I should just see where I am with a card after 10 minutes. How funny would that be??... I probably wouldn't even have the whole sheet of CS cut in 1/2 yet! :D

ETA: I thought about this some more and realized, why am I basing a 10 minute card on ME? Clearly the papercrafting industry does not base things on my speed of making a card - LOL. So I AM going to try this again and will try to make a card that "someone" could likely complete in 10 minutes. How about that?

Hey... you never know, and like Asela said, all it costs is the postage! :) (yep - there's the optimist in me shining through!)

Putting It Out there - FRONT and CENTER

So why have I posted a pic of this un-altered Bare Elements chipboard purse? Well, to get myself to finally alter it!! I have had this purse for about a month now it seems, after buying it from eP. I was so excited to get it (as it is called the MARIA purse!) and finally alter something more than just a coaster or a lunch tin. But now I can't seem to do it. I guess I'm a little nervous about ruining it or just not knowing what to do. But then again, it's so not like it was $1000 or something, for goodness sake!!

I have all these ideas in my head, but just can't take that first step. Very silly, I know!! Kinda embarassing... soooo that's why I posted it... to remind me that I have to get over it and alter it.
Maybe when I get in my next order which has a ton of PP in it. My big package should be here tomorrow (gulp!) What is wrong with me??

Oh and by the way, my guys have the day off from school today. My oldest guy is so excited - he happily went right back to sleep after he found out. But is it snowing outside? - a big fat NOPE! Just sleeting. I guess they decided to call the day in anticipation of the BIG snow that is supposed to be coming at any minute - LOL. It was supposed to start at 6am as per accuweather.com. but now it says that it is supposed to start at 8am (those weatherguys!!). So we'll see...