When a Good Idea Goes Wrong

I don't even know why I'm posting tonight, as I'm having a "off" night. I saw this cute doted paper at Hobby Lobby yesterday and I thought that would be cute with my new "Pun Fun" Stamp Set. Boy was I wrong.....I couldn't get it to work and before I knew it I was not having fun and I felt a headache brewing. That's when you know enough is enough. I hope I'm not the only one that has those nights!!! I proud of the fact I dusted off my embossing powder a gun! I hope tomorrow is a better "creative" day! (Next time I'll only use SU paper....that will help!)



Project Supplies: Pun Fun (Occasion Mini) Stamp Set, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Brilliant Blue, Yo Yo Yellow and Whisper White Cardstock, Non SU Designer Paper, SU Ribbon, Brads, Silver Embossing Powder, Dimensionals, Matt Pack and Markers

My Tulips Are Emerging

With the weather being close to 80 degrees today my tulips are finally 6 inches tall. (Yeah!) All we need now is some rain, which we might get tomorrow or I'll be turning on the sprinklers. I meet tomorrow with the landscape team at Plant Perfect to begin the much needed curb appeal. The previous owners made these great flower beds all the way around the house and dumped tons of river rock, I have only 3 shrubs and 2 rose bushes in the front....which still look dead! So, I'm hoping they have some great ideas to add some BLING! Tonight's card is inspired by my "new" burgundy" tulips!!!



Project Supplies: Pick a Petal, Lots of Thoughts (Retired SAB 2008) & Garden Whimsy Stamp Set, Certainly Celery Prints Designer Paper, Bravo Burgundy, Whisper White and Certainly Celery Cardstock, White Gel Pen, SU Ribbon (Retired), Bravo Burgundy Ink, Dimensionals, Scallop, Circle and Rectangle Punch and Cuttlebug Circle and Swirl Emboss Folders.

Simplify Life and Enjoy It More

I'm trying so hard to stay focused on what "really" matters in life, missing my stamp clubs and Directing VBS. (I would be waist high in that by now) I'm blessed that we were able to move to a larger community and I could start over...What I mean by that is; before I had myself booked 24 seven with Volunteer Events, Stampin' Up Parties and Open houses, Preschool for the kids, Sunday School Teacher & VBS Director, Advocate for the Abuse Resource Network and running the Park. In a small town it doesn't take much for you to get involved in everything and slowly get the life sucked out of you....I was that person. I was living in a fog, I forgot who I was or how I got to this point. I came to realize I was the type of person that couldn't say NO! I'm slowly finding myself and enjoying spending my days "mostly" uninterrupted with my children. I'm getting to know my extended family and treasure my daily visits to my grandma. This is what life is about.....The Simple Life! That is what inspired my "Simple" card layouts tonight.

Project supplies: Fancy Flexible Sayings (Retired) & Tart & Tangy Stamp Set, Real Red, Whisper White and Garden Green Cardstock, Ticket Punch, SU Ribbon, Cuttlebug Circle Emboss Folder, and Markers.

Project Supplies: Lots of Thought (2008 SAB) Stamp Set, Whisper White Cardstock, Certainly Celery Prints and Cutie Pie Designer Paper, Dimensionals, SU Ribbon, Black Marker, Circle Punches and Cuttlebug Swirl Emboss Folder.

When Life Gives You Lemons.....

I haven't posted for a few days as the "Lemon" tree in the backyard decided to drop all it's lemons in one day! I'm sure your wondering how a lemon tree can even survive a ND winter.....I've come to realize in life anything is possible!! So, this week I've lived the saying "When Life Gives You Lemons, make lemonade!"

• My "new" hairdresser decided I looked better with Pink Passion/Ruby Red Hair.....(my husband said "Maybe that is suppose to be your new Stampin' Up color combination) I wasn't thrilled....but after a few days of my kids saying "Why is your hair pink, Mom?" I realized it can be fixed and turn out better then I could have hoped for! My next questions is how can we duplicate it without going Pink first?

• My youngest daughter must have decided with all of mom's hair drama that she should become a hairdresser. She chopped off her hair on one half of her head. (She's a flower girl in a wedding in July, should be interesting). The crazy and sad thing about it was....it took me two days to realize it was her hair!!! My son came up with hair all over his winter gloves, (his new fetish, he won't take them off!!!) and I asked where did you get the hair from? He didn't know, so I asked where were you? He said downstairs in my craft room....this should have been a clue, except in a baggie I had my oldest daughter's hair from when she played beautician at age 3 also, in the closet in with my scrapbook stuff I've been saving. He pointed to it, so I let it go. My youngest daughter has curly out of control hair....so it wasn't until I put her hair up did I realize, it was half gone. I said "What happened?" She replied real quiet.....I cut it!

• I found out my mom is having "MAJOR" back surgery, without this surgery she could become paralyzed. I've gone through all the emotions this week trying to get a handle on how I feel about this. My mom is my everything, she is my rock! It is hard not to be there for her as she is thousand of miles away, at their winter home in Arizona. The doctor says if she drives home any little bump could be life changing, something that they may not be able to fix. With many prayers and good connections (Thanks Nancy), we got her into a fantastic surgeon in California....he's one of the best in the United States. Now I just pray for no turbulence on the plane ride and that surgery goes well!! (May 12th)
  

So, here is my little Lemon inspired card...."Life is what happens when your busy making other plans." I love that saying, I'll be sending this card to mom tomorrow in hopes to lighten her day. (The picture of her grown up daughter with pink hair, should also help!)

Project Supplies: Tart & Tangy & Full of Life Stamp Set, Green Galore, Yo Yo Yellow, Basic Black and Whisper White Cardstock, SU Ribbon, SU Black Brads, Cuttlebug Dotted Emboss Folder, Dimensionals, Corner Punch and Mat Pack.

Sending Cheer 2 You

I got an e-mail this morning from my friend (& down line) Treena that another gal in our group Lucille ended up in the hospital this week. I got busy this afternoon to make something extra special.....it took me about 2 hours to get it together, but it turned out oh so cute. I hope she likes it as much as I do!

Lucille....A bright and cheerful get-well wish especially meant to say, that many warm and friendly thoughts are with you every day. Get well soon!

Instructions:

• Cut two 12"x4 1/2" strips of Cardstock (I used Certainly Celery)
• Score every 3 1/2"
• Adhere second strip to excess of first strip. Trim off extra panels. (Note: You should have 5 panels total. Accordion-fold)
• Cut five rectangles of Cardstock (Regal Rose) slightly smaller then each panel; I then cut white cardstock slightly smaller then the Regal Rose. (I also ran the white through my cuttlebug dotted embossing folder)
• Adhere monograms to each panel to spell "Cheer" (I cut mine out with my cricut-Base Camp Font with retired Stampin' Up Designer Paper)
• Stamp small letters (Rough Edge Alphabet) and cut them out by hand or with a small square punch~ adhered them on with small glue dots.
• Added embellishments (Misc. flowers, brads, heart and ribbon)
  

Couldn't Be More Grateful

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." ~ Marcel Proust

I needed to come up with something extra special for Matt's sister, Heather for watching our kids last weekend. To make things worse she ended up getting the flu, I felt horrible. So, I wanted to make Heather a card set and was inspired by a recipe box I saw on splitcoast, thank you No Time to Stamp (http://notimetostamp.blogs.splitcoas...chen-gift-set/). I turned her recipe box into a card box. (Birthday, Thank You, Misc. and Note Cards)

My Card box is made out of a Pop Tart Box, cut in half and covered with red cardstock and matted with Summer Picnic Designer Paper. I made the inserts out of the white cardboard found in Stampin' Up Designer Papers. I covered the inserts with the Summer Picnic Designer Paper, rounded the corners and added the tab to the top. It worked perfect! I then filled with about 25 hand stamped cards & envelopes. I hope she likes it!!

Spring Bugs

"The day the Lord created Hope was probably the same day he created Spring."~ Bern Williams

3x3 Purse

This sweet little purse I made is from a Pop-up Glue Dot box. I cut the top off and covered the box with Certainly Celery Designer Paper. It is a perfect size box for a set of 3x3 cards or covered candy treats. I want to cover some candy to put in my little purse for one of Ashton's friends. I just can't seem to find any candy in the house tonight! (Funny.....the three little mice in my house only eat candy). I will have to get more at the store tomorrow. The stamp set I used is retired (sorry), Ladybug Picnic. When I think of spring this set comes to mind.....all the bugs start coming out!