I love it when a plan comes together

So after waiting almost a year to order from Papertrey Ink I finally got to place a small order to catch up on the colors that I had missed out on. My plan was to order the paper and one ribbon of each color, but to wait on the ink in case I had something close enough to work in my already large ink pad collection.

I just had time to look and I found inks that will work for all 4 colors.

Scarlet Jewel = Aged Mahogany Distress Ink or Chianti from Color Box

Enchanted Evening = Faded Jeans Distress Ink

Orange Zest = Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink

Terracotta Tile = Sepia Archival Ink **Edited on 3/5/10 to add that I'm not really loving this one and I may go ahead and order the PTI ink, but hey 3 out of 4 ain't bad.**

They may not be exact matches, but they'll be close enough for me and it saved me enough money that I could justify buying that new Butterfly Dreams stamp set I've been eyeing. LOL

I know I'm not the only one who has to keep a tighter eye on the budget, so I thought I'd share how well my latest plan of attack worked out. :-)

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!

New Cards

I was in record-breaking card-making mode today and finished three of the Birthday cards that I need for tomorrow. I still have one more to make and hopefully later today I'll get to it.

First up I have a card I made for my older sister. It's a little blurry, but it's a pretty basic card. I used a base of PTI black, some pp from Me & My Big Ideas, and some orange ribbon I found at Michael's. The sentiment is from PTI's Birthday Basics and I used an EK Success border punch (bracket).

This card is for my 5-yr old Niece who loves princesses and everything girly. I thought it was the perfect time to use my first ever Lily stamp "Angelface" from Stampavie. I used color pencils and Stickles so it really sparkles in person. The base and ribbon is Hibiscus Burst from PTI and the pp is from DCWV's Summer Matstack.

Last up is one I made for my Nephew. He turned 10 on Valentine's Day so I'm a little late, but we're celebrating tomorrow so I think I get a pass on that. LOL The base is PTI's Ripe Avocado, the blue is from my stash, and the pp is again from DCVW's Summer Matstack. The stamps are from Inkadinkado's Humorous Birthday set. I used two different stamps from this set only inking the parts I wanted so that the sentiment and creature from different stamps could be used together.

I used yet another EK Success border punch (noticing a pattern here? LOL) I also used a fun starburst punch from Martha Stewart just for a little fun touch.

I still have another card to make, but it doesn't have to be mailed out until Monday so I have a little time. I should be back with it soon.

Kitten Cuteness :-)

My kittens are getting so big so fast. They both were trying to squeeze into the bed that I got them a few months ago and it's a much tighter fit than it used to be.

Here they are back in Oct:

And here they are this week (4 months later):

I can't believe how much they've grown in such a short time--they've each gained at least 4 lbs and are very sweet, playful fuzzballs that love to snuggle. They are so loving it's like they know how horrible their lives could've ended up at the shelter and they are so happy/thankful to have a good home. They get into everything and can be very frustrating at times, but it is so worth it when they nuzzle up to my neck and purr themselves to sleep.

I took a picture of the Valentine's Day cookies I made for Joe on Sunday, but it's still on my camera--I haven't found time to download yet. This weather and lack of sunshine has been making me want to do nothing but sleep. The last few days we've been seeing peeks of the sun and I can tell I feel better/more energized when it's out. I have put it off long enough and now this weekend I have to make 4 b-day cards.

Nothing like a little pressure to get the creative mojo going. Wish me luck!

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

I need to get busy

I still have a few cards to make this weekend and next week, but I've been in the middle of reorganizing my ribbon collection so I've been a little distracted. It is boring and time consuming, but it is going to be worth it with all of the space I will be saving by taking it off the cardboard spools.

I do need to take a break from that--I had a close call with one of the kitties and my ribbon. I still have no idea how Clyde got it, but somehow he swallowed several feet of 1/8" ribbon and I had no idea until he was throwing it up at 3:45 this morning. Luckily it all came out in one little compact bunch because it could've been a very serious situation if it had made it into his system. Thankfully he seems to be ok although it makes me wonder what else he could be eating?

On a crafty note, I scored some new border punches from EK Success at Jo-Ann's. They were on sale 40% off and they are new Spring designs that I have not seen anywhere else yet.

The first one is called bubbles and I think it adds a fun sort of lacy feel to the edge.

The next one is called graceful heart and it has a definite lacy quality about it that I cannot wait to use. I have a feeling this is going to be one of my new favorites.
I really like these punches and even the ones with tiny holes/delicate patterns have no trouble going through Papertrey's cardstock. (I have a few Martha punches that don't like to play nice the PTI paper.)

Yesterday, my honey was off work so he showed up at my office with 2 dozen roses and Merb's chocolate covered strawberries. He also went to a meat market and got some really nice steaks for us to make on Sunday. We've decided to stay home and have a nice dinner on Sunday since he says I "cook better than any restaurant anyway." I am looking forward to good steaks, a nice bottle of Pinot Nior and a quiet evening at home.

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)

No card today, but I did get caught up on the laundry, dishes, and some other things around the house that needed to get done. I also baked an apple pie. It still has to cool, but it looks (and smells) pretty yummy!

I also had some help putting up a new shower curtain liner. It's quite fitting that they help since the reason it was being replaced was because of the holes they had clawed and chewed in the old one. They are doing very well and they are growing like crazy, but they have definitely left their mark on our home (Yes, Clyde is chewing on it in this pic). Luckily they are the sweetest, cutest little things so we let them live. LOL



When we named them Bonnie & Clyde we knew they were close, but we had no idea just how close they really are. I have very few photos of them by themselves because usually they are together. They snuggle more than any two cats I've ever seen before, but I'm glad they have each other. It's hard to resist two snuggling little kitties. :-)

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

Has it really been 2 months?

I just realized that it's been 2 months since my last blog post. I guess with the Holidays and everything else time has just slipped away. Hopefully that is going to change. Part of my resolutions for the New Year is to get back into creating more regularly, and last night I made a card for the first time in months. It felt good and it came together rather quickly (to my surprise).

I don't have a photo yet, but I think I may enter it into Papertrey Ink's monthly GSS contest. I'm hoping this weekend to make a few other entries as well. I haven't entered in almost a year, but I think I'm ready to get back into the swing of things.

Since I don't have a card, I'll leave you with some new pics of our kitties. They are doing MUCH better and seem to be very healthy and happy now.

Bonnie has such a sweet and innocent face. She's really starting to get more of a personality compared to when we first got her.

Clyde has had a more "in your face" approach since day one, but deep down he's a big softie. Don't you just want to pet that belly? LOL (Notice the size of his paws--he's only 6 months old, but I think he's going to be a BIG boy once he grows into them.)

I am a married woman!

It seems like it took forever to plan and then the day itself went by so fast it was like a blur. But a good blur--we had perfect weather, great food, great music, beautiful flowers, and so many of our friends and family were there to share it all with us. It truly was a perfect day. :-)

We spent a few sunny, 91-degree days in FL and then came back home and the next day we made a stop at the the Humane Society. We were thinking of getting a kitty to fill the hole left by Lucy, but we ended up with:

Meet Bonnie and Clyde, the latest additions to the family. They are brother and sister and just turned 4 months old. Cuteness overload!!!!

The bad news is that we got them last Friday and over the weekend they both started having some problems--It turns out that they both have upper respiratory infections and parasites, and Clyde has an eye infection too. That's the only thing about shelter kitties is that they're like kids at daycare--they all share all of the germs and illnesses with each other. $300 and lots of medicine later these two are hopefully on the way to being happy, healthy little kitties.

Right now they live in my craft room since they have to kept away from our older kitty. There is no way I'm getting anything crafty done in there until they are free to roam the house. LOL

Thanks for stopping by and visiting. Within a week or so I should have a link to share with pics from the wedding. I can't wait!

Into the home stretch

I just finished tying bows on 100 programs for Saturday and couldn't be happier with how they turned out. The pictures don't really do them justice, but they are a really pretty ivory with a pearl border. The ribbon colors go perfectly with our Fall color scheme.

I can't believe the wedding is almost here. It seems like forever since I started planning and now all of that hard work is going to pay off. Come Saturday I will be a married woman!

Hopefully after that things will settle down and I can get back to being crafty for things other than wedding stuff. My blog has been pretty quiet lately, but I hope to get back to it soon. (After the honeymoon of course, LOL!)

Easy Peasy Bracelets

I got some necklace and earring sets from a local trading company for my bridesmaids to wear, but I was having a hard time finding bracelets that would go with them. I was feeling pretty confident that I could make some myself, so I headed to Hobby Lobby's bead sale and picked up some aurora borealis swarovski crystals, a few other pretty beads, and a package of memory wire. I couldn't be happier with the results.

As you can tell, the lighting is not the best in this shot, but they really catch the light and sparkle. And if you know me at all you know my favorite color is sparkly. :-)

I hope that my girls like them.

The invitations are going out by this weekend--I can't believe it's almost here.

Thanks for stopping by.

Yes, I'm still alive and kicking

We had a very nice vacation in Gulf Shores, AL a few weeks back. I love to walk the beach and look for shells and I found a bunch of really nice ones. We didn't have any activities planned, we just used the time to relax and not think about the wedding so much.

Then it was back to the reality that this wedding is happening in 2 months!!! This week I had my first dress fitting, we had a meeting at church, and then another with the caterer. Next major thing is to get our invitations addressed and mailed out.

The good news is that there hasn't been any more major family drama (knock on wood) so things seem to be going much smoother than expected. I'm sure there will be a few more bumps in the road, but hopefully they'll stay on the small side.

Bows

This week I've been working on bows for the church pews and have not been happy with the results. I think that if I had bought wired ribbon it would've been different, but since I already have 100 yards of the non-wired kind I'm making do with what I have.

Tonight I finally decided on my final bow design. I was trying to make them with flowers and I think it just got too busy--I decided to simplify and am happy with my results. I only got 3 of them made before I got distracted by the Cardinals vs. Brewers game, but it's a start.

I think they're going to look very nice--not too obnoxious. I have to thank Joe for buying me the Bowdabra last weekend when we went to Michaels. It really comes in handy for holding the ribbon in place.

In other more exciting news, I got a call Monday that my wedding dress was in--that was 2 1/2 weeks earlier than expected. I went up and tried it on and am VERY happy. The dress is going to be perfect--I can't wait to see it once it's altered for me. My first fitting is scheduled for next month.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope to keep updating as I get things accomplished. Have a good one.

Happy 4th of July!

It has been a pretty hard week for us, but it's getting a little easier each day. We received two sympathy cards signed by the vet staff at both locations of the humane society--the one where we adopted Lucy/took her the first time she was sick, and from the other location that treated/diagnosed her FIP. One of the girls there made a point of putting a nice personalized note to us--she had let me cry on her shoulder when I first found out, so she knew just how much we cared for our sweet girl.

I'm really looking forward to taking a few days to relax and spend time with my family. I hope everyone has a safe holiday weekend.