Saturday, January 30, 2010

Park Play

What do you do on a Saturday when the kids are rowdy from being cooped up all day while you and your hubby catch up on cleaning, etc??? You go to the park of course. Burn off some energy! The kids had a blast playing. Here are a couple pictures of their adventures . . .


Thursday, January 28, 2010

Kiss Kiss (Challenge #103 - Sketches By Tamara)

I love Thursday! It is pizza day at my house, and that means I don't have to cook dinner so I can usually fit in a little crafting/stamping time. Of course, today I am going to try and fit in just a little bit more touch up ceiling painting time, and organizing time so I can show you my office either later tonight or tomorrow . . .

I have been trying to create some Valentines/Love cards with non traditional valentine looks . . . like no massive reds and pinks. I love the way this one turned out! I created this card based on this awesome sketch HERE!

Stamps: Magnolia, Kiss Kiss (9-8217B - A Muse Artstamps) Paper: Suede Brown Light (Prism Papers), Textured Pink (Hobby Lobby), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Meadowsweet Vines (The Paper Studio - Hobby Lobby) Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento ink (ME-900 - Tsukineko) Accessories: Paper Frill (scalloped) - (Doodlebug Design Inc.), classic hearts - nestabilities (Spellbinders), copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.), sewing machine (Singer), pale pink thread (Sulky)

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

A Lot of Crunches! (VLVJan2010 - Week 4)

Happy Wednesday!! We've made it halfway through another week! I decided to stamp one more sample with the Skipping Stones Design set "Buns 'n Crunches" -- This time, I made some yummy cookies.

Here is the sketch by Amber Hight:


and here is my card:


Stamps: Buns 'n Crunches (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Tawny Medium (Prism Papers), Baby Blue Medium (Prism Papers), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Chocolate Chip (SU!), Blue Mini Dots (Express Yourself...Creatively! - Colorbok) Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento (ME-800 Tsukineko) Accessories: Copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.), brown satin ribbon (Michaels Stores Inc.), Corner punch (Paper Shapers - EK Success)

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

(SSD09)

So I just realized that I still have not shown off my stamp studio/office since I painted, etc. SO, I decided that tomorrow (or by the weekend at the very latest *crossing my fingers*), I will take and post some pictures to show you all. (Of course you must promise not to laugh at how messy I am - well, at least loud enough that I will hear you).

Happy Tuesday . . . can you believe how fast January has ZOOMED by? This is the last sketch this month already. It has been wonderful having Amy as our sketch designer -- her sketches have ROCKED! This one is no exception! Thanks Amy!!! Be sure to jump over to my side bar and go see what all the DT girls have been up to . . . they have created some AWESOME stuff!!!

Also, just released today: Dandelion Dreams (a gorgeous set you NEED) and Well Behaved - Special Edition (which truly was not well-behaved and has some typos -- but you can get it for really, REALLY cheap because of this)! GET THEM WHILE THEY'RE HOT!!!




Stamps: Healing Wings (Skipping Stones Design) aper: Bon Bon Swiss Dots (Doodlebug Design Inc.), Green with White Polka Dots (Martha Stewart), Plum Passion (Doodlebug Design Inc), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Majestic Purple Medium (Prism Papers) Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento (ME-800 - Tsukineko) Accessories: Plain Circle nestabilities (Spellbinders), Long scalloped rectangle nestabilities (Spellbinders), pop dots, brown with white dots organdy (Michaels Stores Inc.), sponge, copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.)

Monday, January 25, 2010

Gratitude Unlocks the Fullness of Life . . . CPS Sketch #150

Such a simple, clean and awesome sketch! I am such a sucker for sketches!!!

I found this sketch over at Card Positioning Systems blog. I was lucky enough to win an awesome prize from them a couple weeks ago (thank you Gina K Designs & Tami for drawing me!), so stay tuned for some fun using that new stamp set in the coming weeks . . .

This week I have been playing with Skipping Stones "Healing Wings" acrylic stamp set! As soon as I got to see it, I knew it was a must have for me! I love the butterflies, and I adore all the beautiful sentiments in the set!

And now, I am headed to go stalk my FedEx guy . . . he is supposed to be bringing me my new Stor in Style file drawers (my birthday present) and I am anxious to get busy on putting them together and getting my office/stamp studio all cleaned up! See you tomorrow for the Skipping Stones Design Tuesday sketch!

Stamps: Healing Wings (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Forever Family - Gladys Pauline (Dream Street Papers LLC.), Old Olive (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko) Accessories: Oval punches (SU!), vintage buttons (Papertrey Ink), Labels 1 Nestabilities Die (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug machine (Provocraft), sponge

Thursday, January 21, 2010

"Be Mine" - SC 264 (Splitcoaststampers)

This sketch was a lot of fun for me. I decided almost right away to turn it on its side -- and it worked out perfectly like that with the image I had! Hope you like my Magnolia valentine . . . more to come soon as I have been playing in my studio again since we have had some INSANELY rainy and stormy weather here in the past couple days!

Stamps: Magnolia, be mine (3-8222B - A Muse Artstamps) Paper: Perfect Plum (SU!), Emma's Garden (Fancy-Free Collection - Fancy Pants Designs), Crabapple Light (P027-E -Prism Papers), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (ME-900 - Tsukineko), Perfect Plum Classic (SU!) Accessories: Pink Paper flowers (Prima Marketing), sponge, long scalloped rectangles- nestabilities (Spellbinders), Classic Hearts - Nestabilities (Spellbinders), pale plum buttons (SU!), pale pink with white dots organdy (Michaels Stores Inc.), copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.), Inkssentials Glossy Accents (Ranger), pop dots.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

(SSD08)

It's that time again kids -- are you ready? Time to pick up your favorite Skipping Stones Design stamp set and get stamping with the weekly sketch challenge. The layout today is simple, classic, and nice. Thank you to Amy Sheffer for the sketches this month.

My card follows the sketch pretty well, but I did add a sentiment to the bottom right corner (please don't shoot me for kinda cheating). I was going to just put a bow, but in the end, the sentiment made more sense there, and fit better! Hope you will take a few minutes and go check out all the awesome creations that the DT has made with this sketch . . . they are located *new* on my sidebar so you can do this easily! Also, if you upload your creation to a gallery, please remember to use keywords "SSD08" so we can see what you made!



Stamps: Buns & Crunches (Skipping Stones Design), Mega Mixed Messages (Papertrey Ink) Paper: Bashful Blue (SU!), Barely Banana (SU!), Solar White classic crest (Neenah), Sweet Treats (Doodlebug Design Inc.), Playful Blue Paper Pad (Martha Stewart - Create) Ink: Vintage Sepia Versafine (Tsukineko) Accessories: Rhinestones (KaiserScrapbook - Purchased from Papertrey Ink), Holiday Mix Vintage Button Collection (Papertrey Ink), Nestabilities Circles (Spellbinders), large and small oval punch (SU!), barely banana grosgrain (SU!), sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Sulky), 3D Glue Dots (Therm-O-Web)

Friday, January 15, 2010

McNugget Eating Champ (I've Never Been So Proud)

So have you heard about the deal that McDonalds is running on the weekends (well at least here in AZ) . . . 50 nuggets for like $10 or so . . . well out of this amazing deal was born this nugget eating contest at my hubby's office. *roll eyes*

Of course, my hubby participated and WON!
He ate a disgustingly impressive 62 nuggets *gags* He is not a big guy, so I am seriously surprised he did not puke or have a heart attack or something. EW!

FINAL TOTALS:

Wendy - 19.5
Todd - 31
Marc - 34
Michael - 62

Anyway, gotta be proud, and how could I not be?

The contenders

M and 6 boxes of ten + 2 . . . 62 glorious McNuggets in 45 minutes
My WINNER!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

(SSD07) - Cinnamon Rolls

ZOOM, SWOOSH, time is just flying by. I can't believe it is Tuesday again already. Due date day will be here before you know it . . . it is crazy! I need to start getting more organized . . . less stamping, more preparing . . . like packing a suitcase could be useful right? As if any baby of mine would come early *crosses fingers and toes that she won't*

Here is today's sketch (thanks to Amy Scheffer):

Today I have a special treat for you -- a sneaky peek at a new set available soon-ish from Skipping Stones Design. It is called Buns & Crunches and it is HILARIOUS! I just love it! Hope you find some time to play along with us with this awesome sketch . . . happy stampin'! This card features the BEST SENTIMENT IN A STAMP SET EVER:

"Who wants buns of steel?"

and for inside:

"When you can have buns of cinnamon"


Stamps: Buns & Crunches (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Chocolate Brown (HobbyLobby), Little Blossom (Bloom & Grow - My Minds Eye), Sprinkled (Serendipity "Sunshine Lollipop - Sassafras Lass), Pink Passion (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Timber Brown Staz On (Tsukineko) Accessories: Inkssentials Glossy Accents (Ranger), brown with dots grosgrain (Costco), sewing machine (Singer), brown thread (Sulky)

Speaking of buns of cinnamon, the other day I made these awesome cinnamon rolls from allrecipes.com, and I thought I would share the recipe with you, because it seriously made me drool. I use reviewer Marianne's directions (for if you don't have a bread machine) and they worked out great! Happy baking (after you stamp a card with the sketch of course!)

Cinnamon Rolls III
Ingredients:
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup warm milk
1 egg, room temperature
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups bread flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped pecans

1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons milk

Directions:
In the pan of your bread machine, combine water, melted butter, vanilla pudding, warm milk, egg, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, bread flour and yeast. Set machine to Dough cycle; press Start.

When Dough cycle has finished, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 17x10 inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over dough.

Roll up dough, beginning with long side. Slice into 16 one inch slices and place in 9x13 buttered pan. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. While rolls bake, stir together cream cheese, softened butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and milk. Remove rolls from oven and top with frosting.

Thursday, January 07, 2010

Friends Are Like Bras - (MOJO120)

As promised, here is another card from the Bra set (Skipping Stones Design). I am kind of stuck on the black and white with a color POP theme with these . . .

Does that ever happen to you as a stamper -- you find something is just working well for you, so you go with it?

Inside of card reads: They help you hold it together even when things are falling apart."

Stamps: Funny Bras - Volume 1 (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Black Tie Optional - Kitsch'n Floral (Imaginisce), Textured Black (The Paper Studio - Hobby Lobby), Bashful Blue (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Bashful Blue Classic (SU!), Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko) Accessories: Rhinestones (KaiserScrapbook - Papertrey Ink), Black with white dot organdy ribbon (Dots, Dashes & Checks - Michaels Stores Inc.), Scalloped and Plain circle nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.), sewing machine (Singer), black thread (Sulky)

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Lean On Me, When You're Not Strong

CHALLENGES GALORE to make this card --I am a sucker for sketches, and fell in love with this simple and clean and easy one over at Card Positioning Systems blog. (CPS148) I just knew I had to try it.

Then the color challenge (CC252) intrigued me -- strange colors (Bermuda Bay (or taken with teal), handsome hunter, and certainly celery with a *pop* of pink somewhere).

Oh and can't forget Monday there was an awesome Technique Lovers Challenge on SCS (TLC254 - it was quilting on a card), so I threw that in too . . . and this is the crazy finished project I came up with! I like it. What do you think????

Stamps: Funny Bras - Volume 1 (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Taken With Teal (SU!), Handsome Hunter (SU!), Certainly Celery (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Certainly Celery Designer Series Paper (SU!), Graceful Circles - Penny Lane (My Minds Eye) Ink: Onyx Black Versafine Accessories: 3D Glue Dots (Therm o Web), sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Sulky), Pale pink thread (Sulky), Pink Vintage Buttons (Papertrey Ink)

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Happy 8th Anniversary

I did get us tickets to Weezer, but after the awful accident that happened - that show was cancelled, so we were trying to figure out what to do on or anniversary and we decided it would be fun to buy Guitar Hero 5 and play together (Make our own concert so to speak)!

So, first we went to dinner at Benihana (thanks to the Wrights who took our kids for us for the evening) and then we rocked out to our own show until we were too tired to think (literally, I think Michael fell asleep playing a song -- yes, I am quite sure that is why we got boo'd off the stage). It was a fun evening, truly a happy 8th anniversary for us!

Here are a couple more pictures from our experience at Benihana . . .

Our cook, Ananda cooking and Mic showing off how he can use chop sticks like a pro

Our pretty plates and my lemon chicken cooking

Me (7 mos. preggo and not *glowing*) and My Michael


The sweet note my baby girl left for us on the kitchen table (she is just too cute!)

(SSD06) and BLOG HOP

Hey guys! Happy 2010! I was so not ready for vacation to be done when I had to send my kids back to school yesterday! *sad face* We had such a fantastic break! Guess what though? Lots of fun stuff for you today!

First, HAPPY 8th ANNIVERSARY TO MY CUTE, CHARMING, and WONDERFUL husband! I am seriously the luckiest woman! He is so good to me and makes me laugh and smile! We've grown so much together in 8 years and being my opposite he has taught me a lot and for that I will forever be grateful! *tears* I can hardly believe how fast the time has flown by. I am excited for the years to come.

**********

Enough sappy Manda, introducing the Skipping Stones Design Blop Hop. If you've just happened upon my blog, you can CLICK HERE to start from the beginning. You should have arrived here from Debbie Fischer's blog: http://debbiedee.blogspot.com/

Along the way, the Skipping Stones Design Team (aka the Stamp Tramps) will have blog candy for you to enter. As an added bonus, there will also be 4 stamp sets (new stamp sets not yet released) hidden along the hop, but we’re not telling you where so be sure to leave some love as you hop!!!

Make sure you leave comments on every post so you have a chance to win!! The winners will be announced on Friday January 8th at Skipping Stones Design.

Also, for today and tomorrow -- EVERYTHING over at SKIPPING STONES is 25% off (Enter code: 25off). WOOHOO!

Amy Scheffer is our January Sketch artist and her blog address is:


Hope you will take a minute to go say hello and check out her awesome blog! Here is the sketch for today. (Isn't it just SO fun and different??? I thought so!!!) Please feel free to link to this post from your blog, or post a link to your blog in the comment section of this post, I would LOVE to see what you do with the sketch!!!

Happy Hoppin' and have fun stamping!

I just love this set. It is funny, quirky and totally girly! Seriously!! This week on my blog I will feature a few other cards I have made with it. I hope you will check back soon for another fun bra card!

Stamps: Funny Bras - Volume 1 (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Unconditional Speckle (KI Memories), Hot Pink with White Dots (The Paper Studio), Black Textured (The Paper Studio), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Going Grey (SU!) Ink: Onyx Black Versafine (Tsukineko) Accessories: Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Black Self Adhesive Rhinestones (KaiserScrapbook), Silver Organdy ribbon (Robert Stanley Collection - Hobby Lobby), Liquid Pearls (Silver Pearl - Ranger), Copic Ciao Markers (Imagination International Inc.), Oval punch (SU!)

Since I am the last one on the hop . . . head on back over to SKIPPING STONES and do some shopping! I am sure you *need* to after all the awesome stuff the DT and dirty girls have made you drool over! Have fun! GO HERE!