Tomorrow it will be one year

It doesn't seem possible, but tomorrow Joe and I will celebrate our first wedding anniversary. I made a simple card for him, letting the designer paper do most of the work.

I used Fillable Frames #4 from PTI for the frame and sentiment. On the inside I used a sentiment from Tiny Trees and a flourish from Fancy Phrases (both from Waltzingmouse Stamps). I finished it off with a scrap of the same designer paper (Simply Elegant from The Paper Studio).

We have reservations tomorrow night at a nice Italian restaurant and I think it's going to be a fabulous evening.

I'm back, sort of

I finally got some of my craft stuff unpacked and made a card (the first one in quite a while). I wanted to use my PTI dies to cut some felt for the first time and I needed a little cheering up so this card was born. I found some sparkly felt on clearance at Michaels and anyone who knows me knows I can't pass up a sale or anything sparkly. LOL

I used the Fillable Frames #6 stamp set from PTI and a color scheme of Orange Zest, Raspberry Fizz, and Vintage Cream.

I've been leaving this one out on my desk as a subtle reminder to keep looking at the positives in life.


On a side note, I took this picture a little bit ago of the kittens in their absolute favorite place--the front windows. They have gotten so big now--they turned a year old in July--but they're still my little fuzzy babies.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today. Have a good one! :-)

Friends of Waltzingmouse Stamps Blog Waltz

It's time for the June Friends of Waltzingmouse Stamps blog waltz. The theme this month is "let's hear it for the boys" (yes I do sing those words in my best Deniece Williams Footloose voice every time).


I used stamps from Pic-Nic Patterns and Seasons of Love - Tags by Waltzingmouse and a star from PTI's Star Prints.


Inks used were Broken China and Shabby Shutters (both Distress Inks) and Dark Chocolate (PTI). The stars are stamped on Rustic Cream cardstock (PTI) and I really like how it looks with the twine--definitely gives a more rustic look. I pulled the twine tight to make the paper bow out a little bit--it gives it a little added dimension that you can really see in person.

One thing I realized while making this card is that I really should use eyelets more often. My Crop-A-Dile makes it almost effortless and I have a ton of them in my stash so I have no more excuses! LOL

Thanks for waltzing with me. I've really been out of my grove with stamping, but I hope to make some more time this weekend. I need to get my stamps inky. :-)

A few new cards

DH's niece has a birthday in a few days so I needed to make something fun for an 11 yr old girl. I figured the combo of bright colors and a little bling would be the way to go.
I started with a base of PTI's Hawiian Shores and stamped it with HS ink using Polka Dot Basics. I layered some purple from my stash and Hibiscus Burst after using another EK Success edger punch on them (Morocco Lace) and tying them up with purple gingham ribbon.

For the sentiment I used Fillable Frames #1, but the frame and coordinating die are from Fillable Frames #2. The little flourishy things on the side of the sentiment are from the Waltzingmouse Stamps set Very Vintage Labels No. 1. The bling is a rhinestone sticker from Michael's that was only $1--I bought a few so that I would make sure to use at least one instead of just hoarding them. LOL

Next up is a quick card that I made using a neutral color scheme. I started with a Kraft base and stamped it with Inkadinkado's Dot Flourishes using Dark Chocolate ink. I accented with a few brown rhinestones and a little bit of glitter for just a touch of sparkle.

I cut out a Labels 1 shape in Vintage Cream with my Cuttlebug and stamped it in Dark Chocolate using one of the stamps in Very Vintage Labels No. 1 (WMS). The sentiment is from K & Company's Que Sera Sera set and I thought the flourishes around Thank You fit perfectly with the fancy frame that Claire designed.

I finished up with yet another accent piece using an EK Success edge punch (yes, I am still in love with them) and some chocolate ribbon from my Stash.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you're having a great weekend.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I'm sorry that I'm posting this a little early. I've had it ready to go for a week now and I can't wait any longer. LOL

This is my first ever blog hop and I'm very excited to see what everyone creates. My card came together pretty quickly because as soon as I saw Claire's beautiful shamrock digi stamp I knew I was going to attack it with my Copics.


I tried to make all of the shamrocks look different so I used a few different shades of green and just started coloring. I cut out the image and mounted it with dimensionals on Rustic Cream, New Leaf, and purple cardstock from my stash.

The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's mini set Luck of the Irish--so is the tiny shamrock that I stamped randomly in New Leaf ink all over the Rustic Cream base.

I'm embarrassed to say that I've had my Copics for quite some time now and I rarely use them. I usually gravitate towards stamps that are solid images that don't require coloring, but I guess when I find the right images I can be inspired enough to get them out. (Thanks again to Claire!)

Thank you for coming to visit. I hope you enjoyed my first ever blog hop card. :-)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Last Card for Feb

Just as I finishing up my last blog post I got a call from my MIL inviting me and Joe to get some dinner when he got off work with her and her husband. I scrambled to get ready and went and met them all down at the bar DH works at on the weekends.

We made a reservation at the restaurant next door, House of Savoy, and we had about an hour or so to hill so we had a few cocktails and chatted. We had a great dinner and a few bottles of Pinot Nior and then MIL and I went next door the the casino to play the penny slots. DH had given me $40 to play with and within a half hour of playing I had won back his $40 plus another $87--not too shabby for penny slots. I cashed out and was ready to go, otherwise I know I could've spent it all again. :-)

I came home and even with a little bit of a wine buzz I finished the last card I needed to make this weekend. I used the same EK Success border punch (bracket) and more pp from Me & My Big Ideas. The ribbon is Hibiscus Burst from PTI and the stamps are also from PTI (sentiment = Birthday Basics, flower = Everyday Classics). I used a tag from the Cuttlebug tag sliders set. It was another quick/simple card that lets the pp do the work.

I finally got the pic of DH's Valentine's Day cookies off the camera too. They're sweet enough to make you sick if you eat too many at once, yet they were gone within 24 hours. Sweets do not have a chance at our house. LOL

I have to get ready for a birthday party so I need to get off the computer. I hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Happy Valentine's Day

I finished up Joe's Valentine's Day card in time to give it to him last night, but tonight is going to be the best part. I've had some nice steaks marinating since last night, I have all the fixings for my white wine lemon butter sauce, some baby portabella mushrooms, and I have some really good mozzarella and tomatoes to serve with balsamic dressing.

As I type this , the dough is chilling for my traditional Valentine's Day cookies I bake and decorate for him every year. I'd say that we're probably going to both gain about 10 lbs, but it is going to be SO good!

Enough about food, here's the card I made him. I carried the theme to the inside since it was a black card base and just because I think it is a nice finishing touch.

It took me a little while to decide to turn the focal point on an angle on the card front. That's one of those things I see other people do and I like it, but it's just not my normal way of making a card. I thought about it, and decided it was time to get out of my comfort zone and try something different.

I used True Black, Black & White Basics PP, White, and Pure Poppy cardstocks all from Papertrey Ink. The stamps are all from the Sweet Hearts set from Waltzingmouse Stamps. I used my new EK Success border punch and a few rhinestones in the hearts, but I kept the embellishments to a minimum since I was trying to strike a balance between Valentine's Day and a manly card. I've always loved the combo of black/white/red and I this card is no exception--I think those colors work for just about anything, but are perfect for Valentine's Day.

I hope everyone has a good day with someone they love! XXOOXX

My first cards using Waltzingmouse Stamps!

I finally had a chance to ink up some of my new stamps from Waltzingmouse Stamps (see sidebar for link to store). These both use stamps from the Sweethearts set. All of the paper is from Papertrey Ink.

First up I wanted to do a Valentine card in non-traditional colors. I used a color scheme of Vintage Cream, Spring Moss, and Ripe Avocado. I used a fun border punch from EK Success that has a wavy edge and tiny dots that look like paper piercing. I think it gives some interest without looking as girly as my scalloped punches do. (I still have the old formula of Spring Moss ink so it doesn't show up as well as it should--I have to get the new formulation soon.)

Next up I went a little more traditional with my colors and added in some Dark Chocolate to the Vintage Cream and Pure Poppy. I stamped the hearts in Pure Poppy first and then stamped again without reinking to get the softer shade. I finished it up with some gold chord and a tiny heart charm with a keyhole that I found at Red Lead (local store with a webstore too - http://www.redleadpaperworks.com/). They have tons of sweet little charms and lots of vintage inspired stamps and papers.

I still have plenty more stamps that need to see some ink and I hope to be able to get working on that later today over the coming week. I'm also pretty excited about all of the fun contests happening for Papertrey Ink's 3rd Anniversary celebration.

Blessed :-)

I feel blessed. :-)

I have many reasons--one of them is how happy I am to be able to share my love of crafting with all of the amazing people I have met through blogs and forums. The forum at Papertrey Ink was the first that I joined, and I have met so many wonderful and supportive people there. They opened up a new world of creativity to me and at the same time became my biggest cheerleaders. I gained a confidence in my creations that allowed me to actually SEND my cards to people so they can be enjoyed rather than just sticking them in a shoe box. They also gave me the confidence to start a blog. (Even if I don't post regularly it is such a wonderful outlet and I'm glad to have it available.)

In a previous post I mentioned Beverly from Precious Scraps (blog link on sidebar)--she is a perfect example of someone I have never met face to face, but I consider her a friend. She always goes above and beyond to do or say something nice (all while juggling her family, her dream business that she built from the ground up literally, her day job, and daily life). Her thoughtfulness has touched my heart and she is such a great reminder that there are people out there who do nice things just because they are good people.

Another amazing woman I have never met in person, but have been so fortunate to call a friend is Claire from Waltzingmouse Stamps (links to blog and store on sidebar). Even though she lives in Ireland (across the "Big Water" as my relatives in Germany call it), she has become a source of encouragement and inspiration to me. Claire also has such kindness and generosity that can be hard to find these days, especially while everyone is so busy with life/work/family. She followed her dreams and now designs and sells her own stamps. I received such a sweet surprise from her yesterday and it more than made my day.

They are only two examples of the many fabulous friends I have been lucky enough to encounter during the last few years. I want to thank anyone who comes here to read/comment on my little blog and offer encouragement. I am so blessed to belong to such an amazing community of crafters who come together from all over to share ideas, inspiration, advice, friendship, and a pure love of creating.

I am excited to see what the new year holds for all of us. {{{hugs}}}

Another quick card

I had a little time tonight to make a quick card so I grabbed a PTI set that I love, but don't use quite as often as I should--Life.

I used a base of Kraft paper, then a layer of Vintage Cream with some slight distressing on the edges. Next I layered some pp from Crafty Secrets onto to some Raspberry Fizz that I used my new favorite EK Success punch on (yes, I used it again).

The sentiment is from Life and it's stamped in Raspberry Fizz and Dark Chocolate. The pink is showing up a little orange-y in this photo, but I promise you it's a beautiful bright pink.

I'm glad I was able to squeeze another card in tonight, and that my little monsters left me alone long enough to finish. :-)

I underestimated myself

I thought I was wrapping things up for the day, but instead I ate a piece of pie and then made a quick card. It was inspired by the fun ribbon I picked up at Hobby Lobby yesterday. The dots/stripes can match up with Sweet Blush, Hibiscus Burst, Ripe Avocado, and even Ocean Tides.

For this card I used Sweet Blush, Ripe Avocado, and Dark Chocolate. The stamps are from Floral Fusion, a limited edition Papertrey Ink set that was only available during the CHA show in Florida last year. I wasn't able to go, but my blogging friend Beverly (Precious Scraps) was generous enough to give it to me as a wedding gift.

I feel like I'm on a roll--I'm finally getting back into the groove of creating and I couldn't be happier about that. It feels good to be using all of the fabulous and fun supplies I have stockpiled. (Of course, the more I use the better my excuse for shopping. LOL)

Here is one of the cards I entered into the GSS contest at Papertrey Ink. It was actually more of an excuse to use my new EK Success diamond lace border punch than anything else. LOL

I used the PTI stamp set Rustic Branches for all of the dots, leaves, and sentiments. The paper colors used were Kraft, Ripe Avocado, Pure Poppy, and Spring Moss with Dark chocolate and Ripe Avocado inks. I finished it off with a coordinating Prima Artistry flower. I felt that the flower packed enough of a punch that I could keep everything else a little more simple.

I really liked using these colors and stamps for something other than Christmas--I think they can be great all year long.

I was only able to make one more card over the weekend and it was pretty fast (and not quite up to GSS contest standards). All of the Valentine's Day inspiration that I've been seeing got me to ink up the My Punny Valentine set from Papertrey Ink. This set has not seen ink in a looooong time so it was more than due.

I used all PTI products on this--Sweet Blush, Hibiscus Burst, and Raspberry Fizz are the colors.

I also tried a trick that I've been seeing a lot of in blogland--redline tape and glitter to make an accent stripe. The photo didn't capture the glitter very well, but it is something that I will definitely be trying again in the future.

I'm learning that if I want to make a card it has to be a quick one since I have to repeatedly remove kittens from my workspace (hopefully without them taking my supplies with them). I'm enjoying their playfulness, but hopefully they'll let me work in peace one day. LOL