(SSD040) & Blog Hop

Welcome to Skipping Stones Design’s Blog Hop to celebrate the release of a new stamp set, "Always Here".   If you just happened upon my blog today, you’ll want to go back to the beginning at Skipping Stones Design. You should have arrived from Maren Benedict's blog  http://zanynotcrazy.blogspot.com/ 

Happy Tuesday!  Today is my last time as a member of the Skipping Stones Design team and also the last week working with Maren's sketches.  I have had the idea for this card floating around in my mind since I saw this sketch, so this card came together super quick and easy!  I hope you like it!

We'd love for you to play along with the sketch and link your card at the Skipping Stones Blog. Just remember to use the keywords SSD040 if you are uploading to any online galleries. 

Do you like blog candy?  I sure do!  Make sure you leave me a comment and I will draw 2 lucky winners next Tuesday to take home a Skipping Stones Design set!  Just my little way of saying thank you to you all for your support and goodbye to Skipping Stones!

Your next stop on the hop is Alice Wertz http://aliceslittlewonderland.blogspot.com/  -- 

Happy Hopping!

Stamps:  Timeless Textures (Skipping Stones Design), Love Notes (Gina K Designs)  Paper:  Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Real Red (SU!)  Ink:  Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko), Real Red (SU!)  Accessories: Hearts Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug machine (Provocraft), Pearls (Michaels Stores Inc.), brown grosgrain ribbons (unknown), small corner rounder punch (SU!)

AFI/Greenday Show - Phoenix, AZ

AZ Republic Review of the Show (Has some good pictures)

My review:  Best show ever.  I could just leave it at that, but here's some fun numerical stats:

2 - Number of times Billie Joe mooned his bum at the crowd

6 - Age of the cute little boy who was brought on stage during the show

3 - Number of hours Greenday performed for (freaking amazingness)

2 - Number of rolls of T.P. shot at the crowd from a guitar T.P. shooter device thingy

1 - Number of crazy, beer drinking pink bunnies that were on stage.  Disturbing and HILARIOUS

1994 - The year Greenday released Dookie (with the poop flinging monkey's on the cover that I thought was just hilarious - I was in 9th grade - have liked them ever since)

Greenday totally surpassed my expectations -- they put on such a rockin' show.  Even the folks on the lawn were rockin'!  What an amazing band!  Hubby and I had the most fun we have had in years!!  I felt youthful again rather than like a 31 year old mommy of 4 kiddies.  It was fantastic!   AFI was great too!  They played Miss Murder almost as well as I can rock it on Guitar Hero III!  

Me and my cute hubby (a little shiny and sweaty) at the show!

Mic rocking out and dripping with sweat!  Good times!!

Locks of Love Donation

So I started growing out my hair when I got pregnant with Baby E, and then just let it keep growing while I was pregnant with M . . . and those prenatal vitamins (when I could remember to take them) sure help your hair and nails to grow!  I decided that I was going to donate it to locks of love, sometime after M was born, and then I was just working on growing it long enough that it would not be boy short when I cut it off.  Today I went to Dolce Salon & Spa (in Chandler - they were delightful) and donated 4 braids!  It felt SO good to not have sticky long hair anymore, and I felt good because I did something for someone else.  I will post some pictures of my haircut soon (when I get time to do it up all cute) -- but for now, here is a picture of the braids I donated!

(SSD039)

A Chocolate a day . . . keeps insanity away!  No truer words have been spoken!  I am partial to the ghirardelli dark chocolate squares myself!  Or york patties -- Mmmmmm!  Speaking of chocolate, I made these YUMMY cookies this weekend with my hubby - if you like chocolate and cherry, you gotta try them (http://thegirlwhoateeverything.blogspot.com/2009/09/double-chocolate-cherry-cookies.html).

 What kind of chocoholic are you?

Today's sketch was created by Maren Benedict (as all of them this month have been) - Thanks girl!  I have had an absolute blast playing with them! 

I hope you have been playing too and uploading your cards to InLinkz on Heathers blog over at Skipping Stones Design.  If not, be sure to do it this week -- she gives away  stuff randomly over there, so if you like these stamps go do that!  Easy peasy to win!!!  Here is the sketch:

And the last thing I wanted to tell you about today is that next week (SSD040) will be my last time posting as a member of the Skipping Stones Design Team!  Heather has had a DT call going on in the SCS forums (she wants some fresh blood).  She is fabulous to work with (*tear, gonna miss you girl*)!  Sept 1st, the new recruits start showing off their stuff!  Hope you will continue to visit Skipping Stones Design and see what they are up to from time to time!

Stamps:  Chocolate Volume #2 (Skipping Stones Design)  Paper:  Pink Posie (Pinecone Press Papers), Bittersweet - Vanilla Fudge (Basic Grey), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Chocolate Brown (Core'dinations)  Ink:  Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko)  Accessories:  Chocolate Dotted Organdy (Ribbon Fx - Hobby Lobby), Pink Rhinestones (KaiserScrapbook), Sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Sulky), Embossing template (Lasting Impressions), paper piercing tool

(SSD038)

Happy Tuesday!  For today's sketch, I played with emboss resist.  I stamped the butterflies from "Healing Wings" in versamark and then embossed them using clear embossing powder, then I sponged color over the top.  After a few minutes, I ironed out the embossing so it is flat to the touch-- looks really neat!  

And here is the awesome sketch by Maren Benedict (Thanks girl, I absolutely just LOVED this one):

Stamps:  Healing Wings (Skipping Stones Design)  Paper:  Coral Red #2 (Die Cuts With a View), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah)  Ink:  Cameo Coral (SU!), Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko)  Accessories:  Brown Button (Papertrey Ink), Sewing Machine (Singer), white thread (Sulky), sponge, clear embossing powder (A La Mode - Hampton Art), circle nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), Long Scalloped rectangle dies (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug Machine (Provcraft)

First Day Back to School

My little sweeties are growing up so quickly.  They are so smart and doing so well!   I took some pictures this morning as they were headed back to school . . .

  

(SSD037)

Another Tuesday, another sketch!  Sorry I missed you all last week, life got in the way of stamping (I know, the nerve right???)  Today I stamped an autumn card, basically because I am obsessed with it being fall soon and the leaves changing and the temperatures dropping (you hear me mother nature -- below 100F please - DARN Phoenix weather)!  Here it is . . . TA DA!!!!

I mostly followed the sketch, but it was a square, and I have told you in the past how much I just strongly dislike square cards -- so I made mine rectangular, but feel free to do whatever you like when you create your work of art.  Also, be sure to upload it and share it on InLinkz on the Skipping Stones Design Blog!  We want to see what you make!   I hand pierced and stitched the trail of "wind" that is blowing the leaves!  Hope you like it!!!

I also wanted to say thank you to Maren Benedict!  She is responsible for the awesome sketches you see on Skipping Stones this month!  How lucky are we to get to play with them????

Stamps:  Birthday Donuts (Skipping Stones Design) - the thank you sentiment, Timeless Textures (Skipping Stones Design)  Paper:  Chocolate Chip (SU!), More Mustard (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Autumn Splendor - Candy Apple (The Paper Loft)  Ink:  Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko), Close to Cocoa (SU!)  Accessories:  Brown Sheer Dotted Organdy (Ribbon FX - Hobby Lobby), Paper leaves (Prima Marketing), fabric, sewing machine (Singer), brown thread (Sulky), Dew Drops - Sunflower (The Robins Nest)

Look What I Made - Hair Bow Holder

I'm not sure that many of you know this about me . . . but some do I am sure.  I am addicted in a MAJOR way to Gymboree.  I spend so much of my money there on cute clothes for my kids, and since I have 4, I usually have a kid in each size/collection so I can get whatever my faves are!  I love Gymbucks!  And I love love love that they have matching hair clippies for each collection!  Darn addictive store!

That said, I have collected LOTS of clippies and korkers.  I put some on the board I made, but I know there are some floating around my house that I will have to add later.  Hopefully they all fit.

And here is what I made!  I used this tutorial HERE!  This project literally took me 10 minutes to complete once I had procured all the supplies and gathered them into my crafting room.  EASY!!!  I got my fabric at JoAnn's -- also the canvas (they were 50% off this week too -- WOOHOO!)  The canvas size I chose was 12 x 16 - but you could use any size.  I think it looks pretty cute on the girls room wall and I bet their clippies will be WAY easier for me to keep track of now!

RELATED:  I found this awesome tutorial on how to make the korker bows that I love -- so if you have some free time you can go play:  http://www.instructables.com/id/Curlykorker-Hair-Bows/

Oh and I am linking up to the Show Your Stuff Party at Fireflies and Jellybeans!  Happy Thursday!