You Rock!

I know, I know, it's been a while since I've posted, but I've had a lot going on and it seems like I can't get time to do anything lately. I've also been frustrated by the fact that I don't seem to know how to do all the fun stuff I see on other blog pages. I've emailed a few bloggers of ones that I've followed (and communicate with on a regular basis) about how they do things or if they can point me to the right direction, but I never get a reply. So, being left to figure out how to do things has left me unmotivated to blog. Sorry!!! I will try and get my mojo for that back because I really do want to do it and make it something. For example, when I upload photos, I can't rearrange them on my page, I can't change my page layout, I can't create my own fancy banner at the top, I don't know how to say the word "here" and have it link to a website, I don't know how to do the things that make blogging fun. So, right now it's more work than fun and I haven't been motivated to take time out of my already busy day to do more work, ya know? So maybe one of these days, I'll get a reply from or run into someone who can help me figure it all out.

But, nevertheless, I do have a fun and funky card that I recently made for my stepsister's birthday. She turned 14 on Tuesday and I wanted a card that suited a teenager. It was fun for me to make because I never do anything teen related, though it will just be a blink of an eye and my twins will be tweens and then teens! So, I better get used to it, huh? ****Here's a little tip I've learned....IF YOU DOUBLE CLICK THE PHOTO IN MY POST, IT WILL SHOW UP EVEN LARGER ON YOUR SCREEN SO YOU CAN GET A BETTER LOOK-TRY IT!

I used one of the Hannah Montana stamp sets I found a while back at Wal-Mart, and a fun "YOU ROCK" paper pack I picked up at Michael's by Autum leaves. All the paper in this card came from the paper pack, including the "You Rock" border at the bottom and the "You Rock" tag. Included in the paper pack was punch outs and die cuts so I used what they had, why not? I stamped the guitar from the HM set in Basic Gray (SU) and used my Pink Passion marker to outline it. Then, I used my Pink Passion classic ink pad and a blender pen to fill in the color of the guitar and then used a flourish from Paper Studio and did some masking for the More Mustard flourish behind the guitar. I used Hot Pink stickles on the guitar and I also have some Ranger Stickles in Scattered Straw (Tim Holz Distressed Collection) for the Mustard colored "buttons" on the paper. Those are in the pattern of the paper, but I wanted to accent them with the stickles, though the Tim Holz stickles aren't as sparkly as the main stickles line, it may be hard to see in the photo. I sponged the sides of the "You Rock" strip and the tag, as well as the sides of the guitar piece. I used hot pink rhinestones and some funky fibers I had in my stash that I thought went perfectly with the card. Inside, the card says "Birthday Wishes". This turned out to be one of my favorites, and though the color combo is an unlikely pair, I love the finished look of how the colors come together for a fun and funky look.

Thanks for stopping by and hopefully later this weekend/early next week, I will have by stamp room all put together and clean (I am doing some rearranging) and can get to stamping so I can share more with you. Take care and have a great weekend! Melissa

Gorgeous Chipboard

Here's the card I was referring to yesterday. My friend finally got her card today and I am so glad she loved it. It is so much more fun and rewarding when making projects with a specific person in mind. I just love it! Anyway, here's my favorite chipboard project from this week. I started with a basic black base and used DP from Basic Grey's (my favorite DP designer!) Ambrosia collection, which is also my current favorite collection. I then matted a piece of champagne shimmer paper (picked up from target...part of their "fresh" collection) onto another piece of basic black. The large chipboard piece is also Basic Grey Ambrosia chipboard and I used an Inkadinkado stamp I picked up at Big lots for the sentiment. I stamped that in Staz On directly in the center of the chipboard. It's hard to see but I used Orange Peel stickles around the perimeter of the sentiment and I also dotted some Black Diamond stickles on where you see the 3 little black dots together. I took 2 pictures to get a good angle to see the shine, but not sure if you can. The ribbon is some scrumptious ribbon I recently got from 7 Kids College Fund (http://www.7kidscollegefund.com/) . They have great deals on ribbons and such. I was actually at their site looking for tulle ribbon when I came across this gorgeous black on black swirl. I bought it in several colors. Anyway, the reason for this card is my 4 dearest friends and I were planning a weekend stamping retreat and one of my 4 friends was hesitating on going with us. I just wanted her to know we love her and would miss her if she didn't go, so I just sent her a card with all my current favorite stuff hoping she would FEEL THE LOVE!

So, hope you guys have a great weekend. I have a scrapbooking day planned for tomorrow and club on Sunday. See you soon!

It's Cold - I'm Stampin!!!!

Happy Winter to everyone! I know it may not always be our choice to be surrounded by cold weather, but if we must, we might as well be happy right? Well, this week I have been working on projects using chipboard. I must say, my goal was to put a dent in my chipboard, but it ain't happenin! I mean, do I have some chipboard! {{{Sigh}}}. I would probably have to be locked in my stamp room for a year to use all of my chipboard and I would have to use it on every project for a month to put a dent in it. But, nevertheless, I have some cute projects to show you that I have made this week with some chipboard I had in my stash. I also have my FAVORITE project that I made with this weeks challenge chipboard that I am posting tomorrow. I made the card for a dear friend of mine and I sent it to her today, so I didn't want to post the photo of the card I made her until AFTER I am sure she's received it. Can't go giving her a ruin to her surprise now can I??? I "think" she follows my blog, so to be safe. I am waiting a day or two, but be sure to check back because it's by far my favorite of the chipboard projects I have made.

Okay, first card is my attempt at transitioning from Christmas to Valentines. I used some DP and some chipboard I got at the $1 spot at Target. Don't ya just love bargains like those? It also uses the new Love You Much stamp set by SU. It turned out better than I thought, when I started because it took some wriggling to get the layout like I liked, but it was cute enough in the end. Second card, uses ALL FALL DP and ALL FALL chipboard collection by Fancy Pants Designs. The library card stamp is one that I recently ordered from Clear Dollar Stamps. WARNING: If you visit their website, you WILL be tempted to order (http://www.cleardollarstamps.com/). Their stamps are so stinkin' cute and oh so inexpensive, dare I say CHEAP. Not in quality, just in price. I also used that set and the same DP and chipboard collection on my second card. Though I have to say I like the card with the single apple with the quote and the parenthesis best of the two using the same stuff. And, that's twill ribbon you see on both cards. Not a lot of stamping, but you know the goal is to use that chipboard I have tons of, right?

Don't forget, check back in a day or so for the FABULOUS card post of the one I sent my friend. I hope she likes it, even though I already know what she's gonna say. LOL Also, which I didn't realize until tonight, the challenge this week included wooden shapes. I don't have many of those that fit cards, but I do have some that are home decor type items I can work on. So maybe I will post those if I get a chance to tackle them before this challenge week is over. Have a great day! Hope to see you back here soon!

Well Wishes!

To any and all of my "followers" sorry I have been away for a bit. With the rush of the holidays and also coming down with a stomach bug (YUCK!) it has been impossible for me to post. Just before getting sick (and YES, I got sick Christmas Eve morning and was sick until just yesterday) I was finishing up some of my handmade gifts that I was planning to give to various family members. I made many more sets of stationary which went over so well , but it was such a close call to get them all finished that I didn't get to take pictures of all of them. I have a couple that I will share with you this coming week when I can get myself back into the swing of things. I haven't been as sick as I was in a while, so I am going to be playing catch-up with housework and also getting the holiday decor down and put away. I am one of those people that loves to put up my decorations the day after Thanksgiving, but the day after Christmas, I'm ready to get it out of the way and put back up. Also, in case you may not remember, some friends and I are working on weekly challenge type projects starting the first week in January. I truly think we have something for each week of the year it seems like, but I do hope we can stick to it. It's not so much a challenge in stamping per say, but it's a challenge to each of us individually to use a lot of our stash that we tend to hoard like EVERYTHING! HAHAHAHAHA. Our first goal is to use as much chipboard as we can the first week in January, so check back soon to see what fun stuff I come up with that goal. I am posting a quick picture that was taken of my girls in their Christmas dresses (they didn't have a good selection this year- mostly black, blah) at a my husband's family get together this holiday season in front of their huge tree. I wish each and every one of you who read my blog a BLESSED NEW YEAR and I look forward to "stamping" and creating with you in 2009!!

What I've been working on....

Here are a couple of projects I have been working on this week. Each year, I give my club members gifts for Christmas as a token of my appreciation that they stamp with me each month. I LOVE being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, and much of the reason is because I love learning new things and teaching those things to others so they can be creative. Stamping is such a HUGE part of who I am, and I can't imagine not doing it, but I also can't imagine not having anyone to share it with. So, this year I made them monogrammed stationary and an ornament. I also found some really nice sized monthly planners, but I am not finished with all of those yet. The boxes for the stationary were a real find. I picked them up at my local Goodwill and they are jewelry boxes. They were PERFECT for my stationary and they were a great price at 25 cents each. I just covered the box and added a belly band. Each box contains 6 cards (2 each of a different coordinating design) and 6 envelopes also with a monogram on it. I was able to use up all my loads of retired SU paper for the 8 stationary kits. I also just recently bought the JustRite Monogram kit and also the Damask monogram kit (which I used for this) and I really love them. I took a close up of the monogram on this set so you could really see how detailed the stamp is. The ornaments are also one of the items I made in mass quantity for my recent craft shows. I bought the frosted glass ornaments at Hobby Lobby and rubbed on the sentiments, then bought some floral picks with and took them apart and hot glued them around the top. I thought they were really cute. I forgot to photograph them before I gave them to the recipients, but some of my ornaments were decorated with faux peppermint candies and some were decorated with some glittery pink flowers and beads and I rubbed the word "Hope" on those for breast cancer awareness.

My girls...this Christmas

Here are some photos I wanted to share of my beautiful girls in front of our tree. They are at the age now where all I do is dig out the ornaments and they put nearly all of them on the tree. I get to just sit and drink them in with all their excitement. I always put my lighthouses on because I have to unplug a bulb to plug the ornament into it so it lights up, and I always put my Gone With the Wind ornaments up because they are collector's items, but they do the rest. Our tree is prelit so that makes it even easier. These photos were taken over the weekend before their Christmas play. The twins had to dress in bright colors because they represented colorful ornaments in the play and they each had a solo and did very well. If I can figure out how to get the video clip onto my blog I will let you see how great they did. I also played around with some features on my camera that I had never used but knew they were there. One feature is to do a black and white with color accent. All 3 of my girls have beautiful blue eyes and I really thought with their blue shirts, they would pop out, but they didn't show up like I had hoped. Still, I think the photo is fun and I love the way the lights are softened but still twinkle behind them! I will probably include one of these in our Christmas cards this year....any suggestions of which one? Leave a comment and let me know which one you recommend. I think the black and white one will definately look great on a page.

OOPS! Forgot to add...

Here are pictures of the baby can....I forgot to include them in the last post.