Charmaine's Cafe Ink

Feelin' A Little Pickie

2010-03-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hello Bloggers

My new favorite passion has been creating cupcake picks. I just simply love them. They make the greatest way to decorate a cupcake I have seen. I have found some of the cutest pick ideas out on the web too. I made these cute little guys a couple of days ago when the girls came over for a crafting day, so today I decided that I had better get my tush in gear and bake up some cupcakes. Today's cupcakes are a cherry chip cake with a pink whipped frosting on them.

For my picks I used my Sizzix die with my Big Shot, the rest of the products were from Stampin' Up; cardstock colors and ribbon colors were Tempting Turquoise, and Yoyo Yellow and the Curly Label punch, the stamp set used was a discontinued set, Mini Mates.

These cute little cupcakes will delivered to my friend and hair dresser Andrea. Andrea and I have been friends for over 20 years. It is so much fun to attend my appointments with her. I have told her that my hair likes her far better than it likes me. It always behaves and goes the way she shapes it, unlike when I try it just does what it wants. I just wanted to share a little treat with her and her work partner Patty.

I hope this inspires you to bake some yummy cupcakes and dress them up with a cute little pick.

Yum!!! Yum!!! Yum!!!
Charmaine

When The Cat's Away, The Mice.....

2010-02-14T14:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone out there. Just look at these adorable, yummy little creatures I found out there yesterday. These adorable mice were created by a talented lady here in my city (Toni Zamora of Sweeties Specialty Chocolate Treats) to be cupcake decorations for her chocolate Valentine cupcakes. Now the funny part of this find is that just not even five minutes earlier, my cousin was describing these cute little guys to me and that she had seen several ladies at her Friday Bible study with them going to take them as gifts to teachers and children. Then low and behold we walk into a wine and chocolate tasting event and there were the very mice she was describing to me. These yummy little guys are made from a Hershey Kiss, a chocolate dipped cherry and two almond slices for ears. Ohhh and a little candy heart on their behind. The eyes and nose are piped on in jam or black decorating jell.

The Wine and Chocolate tasting tour was hosted by several of our local wineries. My cousin partook of the wine and I overdosed on the chocolate. There two different chocolate fountains with lots to dip; what was a girl to do? Ohhhh and did I mention the amazing toffee samples? Man did I pay for it later last night with a tummy ache though. Will I do it again, probably so. What can I say, I have a weakness for all things sweet and especially all things chocolate.

Don't forget to spoil the ones you love and that includes yourself.

It's Cupcakes!!!

2010-02-07T23:33:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!

I know for most of the country today was Super Bowl Sunday but for me it was our ladies get together for our regular Hulaqua. Hulaqua is an Arabic word meaning circle or gathering. Each week I challenge myself to come up with a new recipe for something sweet and yummy. When I started out this morning I had decided to bake a treat that was in the spirit of Valentine's Day; I was going to make chocolate ganache heart shaped tarts. I had all of my ingredients, but I failed the read the last step to make the chocolate tart shells, and that was to chill them for 1 hour before baking. Normally this would not be a problem except that it was 1:30 and I was supposed to meet my group at 3:00. There was no way to chill, bake and then add the ganache and cool again in time. What to do? Cupcakes to the rescue. But wait, I could not just bake just plain undecorated cupcakes so I asked myself what would my friend Jeannette, the Cupcake expert do? She would make amazing cupcake picks. So I knew just what I had to do.

Well for these incredibly simple picks I used all Stampin' Up! products. The punches used were the Curley Label, and the new Small Heart punch found in the Occasions Mini. The stamp set I chose appropriately enough was the I (Heart) Hearts. These assembled so easily and made the perfect finishing touch for my last minute, save my behind, cupcakes. The ladies seemed to enjoy them as well.

Ohhh, the cupcakes were strawberry with a tinted butter cream frosting. I love butter cream. I can eat just the frosting by itself, giggle, but I try to control myself. I am happy with the treats that I was able to take and share today.

Stay tuned for the chocolate ganache tarts later in the week. Ohhh yes, they will be made, now if they turn out like the picture in the Martha Stewart magazine I will be over the moon with happiness. Come back later on and see what happens. I am so nervous.....

Paper Lingerie For Miranda

2010-02-03T16:04:00.000-08:00

Hello,

This week has been a busy birthday week. We started with both my friends Miranda and Monica's birthdays on Monday. For Miranda it was her 21'st birthday so it was a big one. Well I had to make her an extra special card for this extra special day. Thank goodness I was inspired by my fellow International Diva Friend, Tiffany Bauer. I love this card and now have had requests for more of them.

Tiffany's blog My Crafty Word has some great projects. She also has the pattern for this card if you want to make one of your own.

The lingerie is velvet designer paper from 7Gypsies. I love this paper.

Miranda loved the card. I had also made her a pocket inspiration book that I will post pictures of next time.

So check back later in the week to see that project.

Well now back to the kitchen to ice my carrot cake for later on tonight. Yummy!!!

It's Produce Day Today

2010-01-26T18:00:00.000-08:00

Look at this amazing basket of fresh locally grown produce; oh and it is all organic. This is week two of purchasing local organic produce from our local farmers. I love the surprise and challenge of receiving some vegetables that I might not normally buy at the market. I also like that the produce we receive is only what is in season now. Sometimes we become so spoiled with our markets and imports form other countries that we forget about seasonal crops. Last Saturday I was watching the Barefoot Contessa on Food Network and guess what she was doing??? She was doing a whole show her receiving her local fresh produce box too. I loved it. She took it as a challenge to see if she could use up everything in her box just like we are doing. So Cool!!!

So this week received the basics, red potatoes, onions, garlic, and carrots; we also received green cabbage, fuji apples, and rainbow kale. Now I'm not sure about the rainbow kale since I have never bought or cooked with this one before but the leaves have pretty red and yellow veins.

If anyone has any good suggestions or recipes for any of these veggies I would love to hear about them.

Thanks for Popping By!

I'mmmmmm Baaaaack!!!

2010-01-25T00:29:00.000-08:00

Hello Fellow Bloggers!

Boy have I missed blogging and crafting. I recently hosted my first workshop. I haven't crafted or held any workshops in months. Somehow I got lost along the way, but I am back and ready to start making projects for my second most favorite holiday of the year.... Valentine's Day. Next to Christmas it is my next happiest day. I will start crafting and posting again.

In my time away I have been rediscovering my love for baking and some of my other crafts that don't have anything to do with paper. I hope you will indulge me as I share some of these other projects with you as we go along.

You may recognize this card project as an adaptation of a card published in the January 2010 Stampin' Discuss. I changed a few things to fit the supplies that I had on hand and was able to make this card work for workshop.

I used the In Full Bloom stamp set and stamped Pretty in Pink classic ink on Pretty in Pink cardstock. My ribbon accent is also Pretty in Pink satin ribbon; with the scallop edge punch I punched a small strip of Pretty in Pink cardstock and layered it on Rose Red. The flower was stamped in Basic Brown ink so that I could watercolor in the flowers with Rose Red ink and my aqua painter. The bee was stamped in Chocolate Chip and then stamped again without reinking so I was able to get a lighter look then I also used the Pretty in Pink again with the bee.

I really like how this card turned out with my modifications. I just might make a few more for my card box.

Check back soon to see what other projects I will be making to get into the spirit of Valentine's Day.

Happy Crafting!

Oh....and isn't this little binder clip holder too cute??

Birthday Weekend Booty

2009-06-19T15:41:00.000-07:00

Well as you can see next week is my birthday. True to form, I enjoy giving more than receiveing. What does this mean to you? Well, post a short description of the most favorite gift you have received on your birthday. On Wednesday, I will draw a winner and you will receive a gift from me.

I can't wait to hear your stories!

Baby Showers Bring Baby Dalia

2009-06-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello, hello!!! I am back in the crafting saddle again. I have been invited to a baby shower this weekend. We know that she is having a girl and I could not be more thrilled for her. Of course, I could not give this special mommy to be just any card so I clicked on my computer and went to Splitcoast to look for some ideas. Once I decided that I wanted to use my Wash Day jumbo wheel from Stampin’ Up, finding inspiration was no problem. I found several cards that really caught my eye but the card that Karakae posted took the cake for me. I could not improve on such a great idea so I just CASED it. Isn’t it true what they say, that imitation is the best form of flattery. Thanks for the great idea. I hope my friend likes it as much as I had fun making it.

For this idea I used all Stampin’ Up products. Wash Day jumbo wheel, words from Great Friend, Scallop oval and edge punches, Large Oval punch, Pixie Pink and Certainly Celery CS, Bitty Backgrounds on one of the sleepers, and watercolored in the clothes on the line. Ohhh and the background is Cuddlebug’s Swiss Dots embossing folder.

Thanks for stopping by. See you again real soon.

Where in the World Have I Been?

2009-05-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hello Bloggers,
I guess I fell off the face of the planet this year with respect to my blogging activities. I have returned and will begin crafting and posting on a weekly basis. I miss sharing my activities and this will make sure that I start stamping and crafting again or at least on a weekly basis.

Stay tuned, my birthday is coming soon so that means that I will be giving presents out to those who have stopped by to say hi.

Tune in Sunday for my first stamped post in too long.

See Ya, Ciao!

Diva Weekly Inspiration Challenge #17

2008-11-13T15:32:00.001-08:00

Hello Stampers it's time again for the Utah Diva's Weekly Inspiration Challenge. This week I thought to take an favorite project from my childhood and breath a new life into it on this card. Who doesn't remember making snowflakes out of circles when they were a kid. I took my Stampin Up circle punches and did just that. I folded them into quarters and randomly cut pieces out of them and voila! snowflakes.

Ok true confession time; I didn't have any current snowflake stamps to complete my idea so I went with my inner child on this one.

Hope you like it!

Copy Cat Friday

2008-10-31T15:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! I was thinking; I know that sounds strange coming from me but, I love blurfing (blog surfing) the net to see all of the great ideas other stampers have come up with. I also like to honor their creativity by using their ideas in some of my workshops. So I have decided to start Copy Cat Fridays so I can show and give props to those who have helped inspire me with their creativity.

SO today's Halloween project is this great Frankenstein card made with the Big Shot and some punches.

I stumbled upon Lynn Larson's blog and this adorable Frankenstein card using the Top Notes die and the Big Shot by Sizziks. His eyes and nose are circle punches and his bolts are a word window punch cut in half. I just love this guy. My stamp club really enjoyed making him as well. As many of you know, I love making cards that use my punches to create an out of the box look. With the new Big Shot I am having a blast.

Hope Everyone Has A Spooktacular Halloween!

Diva Weekly Inspiration Challenge #15

2008-10-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

Hello Bloggers,

Well it's time for another Diva Weekly Inspiration Challenge. Isn't this inspiration picture great for Halloween. I just love this little bug. He looks like he is ready to have a cup of tea and ask "What's new Luv?" I just love him.

But I am not so wild about my project this week. You know how you start a project and it is just too plain but you don't know what to add to it. That's where I am this week. So I will let you be the judge and take suggestions as to how I can spiff up my project for this week.

I really like the triangle treat box that was this week's Splitcoast technique project. I thought it would be a nice switch up to do a 3-D project this week. So here goes.

I created my box with Stampin' Up's Kiwi Kiss and then I decided to use the Organic Grace stamp set for my fern leaves and my dragon fly. I closed my box with some Chocolate Chip Grosgrain ribbon.

Ok now it's your turn; if you have a suggestion on how to spiff this project up, please post it. I think you'll agree that it's missing something.

I can't wait to see what suggestions y'all come up with.

Diva Weekly Inspiration Challenge #14

2008-10-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

WOW! I have had so many problems with Blogger today. I am sorry that my post is so late. I kept being denied access all day. But persistence finally paid off and here we are. This week Maria really issued a challenge. While this week's inspiration is beautiful to look at, it was difficult to design a project for. I always seem to struggle with the monochromatic types of challenges I need a variety of colors to work with. So I hope you enjoy my interpretation of this week's Diva Inspiration Challenge.

When I first looked at the picture I instantly thought about using the polished st one technique to achieve the watery look of the background. I love polished stone and haven't used it recently so it was fun to dig out the cotton balls and reinkers. I like to watch the way the ink floats on the glossy white cardstock and then floats into the very individual design you end up with. It is amazing how fast the alcohol evaporates and the ink dries.

For the flowers I chose the Eastern Blossoms stamp set from Stampin Up. I double inked the stamp up to get the slightly different color for the flowers. First I markered the stamp with Tempting Turquoise then I pressed the stamp into Ballet Blue and then stamped it out. I really like how the two colors combined created such a different softer version of each. For the smaller flower I sponged the edges with the Ballet Blue to give them a little pop so they would stand out from the bigger blossoms. I arranged the flowers on a circle of Tempting Turquoise so that I would keep that circular look.

I have had fun inking my fingers blue and polishing off my stones (giggle). I need to pull out some marbles now and take it to the next level. Hmmm. Maybe next week's challenge will give me the opportunity to do that. We'll have to see.

Thanks for stopping by.

Diva Weekly Inspiration Challenge #13

2008-10-16T12:17:00.002-07:00

Well It's Thursday again and time for another Utah Divas International Inspiration Challenge.

This week's challenge just screamed Dahlia Fold technique. I did struggle with this one and that's why my post is a bit late today. It is really hard to get the folds right without totally crumpling the 1 3/8" circles into unrecognizable flowers. After several mishaps I finally got it! Whoo Hoo!!! I have to say I really do like this technique and have really wanted to try it for a long time, so thank you Maria for providing such a great and striking photo for this week's challenge.

So???? What do you think???? I know I only recreated one bunch of the flowers, but I felt that was enough. I used my finger dauber to lightly brush the edges of front folds of my Pink Pirouette flowers with Tangerine Tango to accentuate the centers of the calla lilies. For the leaves, I ran my Artichoke through the crimper then punched them with the small oval punch and then scored them down the center and folded to get the leaves. I hand wrote the I Love You on the ribbon because I didn't have a stamp for it.

Overall I like how my card turned out this week; I hope you do too.

Thanks for stopping by and checking my work out.

Diva Weekly Inspiration Challenge #12

2008-10-09T01:50:00.001-07:00

Hello Bloggers! Can you believe it that we have reached twelve weeks of Diva Challenges? I'm sorry I missed last week's challenge. I have been in a creative slump. I see inspiration everywhere but just can't get it to transfer into something of my creation. I know each of you has to have had this dilemma every once in a while. I have been working on a new internet adventure that I will reveal once I get closer to launching it. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Well this week's Utah Diva Inspiration Challenge comes from a Martha Stewart picture that Maria sent out to us. I remembered this style of pup-up card that holds a fun surprise. I love this style because you can adjust the size to insert whatever you like in it. It can hold a tea bag like I used on this one or as we get into winter, you can insert a cocoa packet or even a single serving of coffee. Don't forget that a chocolate bar also works well too. For my pop up pouch I used Stampin Up's new Tangerine Tango, and Kiwi Kiss card stock, my butterfly and a flower were stamped on Bashful Blue, and I stamped a couple of the flowers on Whisper White. I cut out the flowers to add an extra pop to the surface and attached them with little pieces of dimensionals.

I have a couple of fun projects to post over the next couple of days so tune to see what we have been doing in my stamp clubs. I am really excited that the holidays are coming soon. There is so much to do and create to celebrate this time of year.

Diva Weekly Inspiration Challenge #10

2008-09-25T00:12:00.000-07:00

Hello Bloggers! I have been away for a bit and then it took me a week to get my bearings back. So I'm back! I know I missed the last couple of
challenges but I hope you like this week's UDI Challenge. When I first looked at the inspiration picture I just couldn't see anything to interpret from it, but then I started looking at the colors and layers and a design started coming to mind. I did see the basic layout for my card from another stamper's work on Splitcoast, but I can't remember who it was to give credit to.

I decided that since I have been on a real Chocolate Chip kick lately that I need to make that my base color, and don't you just love that Pocket Silhouettes stamp set? It is so versatile a just plain cute! I'm thinking that maybe I should have used Creamy Caramel instead of Sahara Sand but I like the combination of the these colors. I hope you like my interpretation, and I would love to see your comments.

Thanks for stopping by.

Diva Weekly Inspiration Challenge #6

2008-08-29T01:03:00.000-07:00

Hello Bloggers,

Well my post for this week's Utah Diva's Inspiration Challenge is pretty late. I apologize, life has been pretty crazy around my house the last two days. I am getting ready for a trip and I had unexpected guests from out of town. I know you can understand the craziness going on with that. So without further adieu.... Here is my take on this week's Inspiration Challenge. I want to compliment Maria for providing us with some really challenging photos to design from. She babysits me to make sure I stay on track the best she can. I can be difficult at times. This week's inspiration picture did not disappoint. I really struggled with this one because it only used two colors. I really had to reach to come up with something for this one.

So what do you think? I used the faux wood grain technique to create this week's card. I first embossed the flowers from Heartfelt Thanks; then, with an old toothbrush (yes I cleaned it first) I brushed Creamy Caramel and Close to Cocoa ink across the page and then wiped the embossed flowers off. I then layered this piece onto Close to Cocoa and then on to White. Cardstock. I stamped the Thanks in White Craft ink on Close to Cocoa and the roughed up the edges to give it a little dimension. I like how this card finally turned out.

Next week I'll be away but I hope to have internet access to post my interpretation of next week's challenge image.

Diva Weekly Inspiration Challenge #5

2008-08-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Bloggers!

Well I've made it to week number 5 of the Utah Diva International's Weekly Inspiration Challenges. I have to say I like this week's challenge the best. I absolutely love the One of a Kind stamp set. It just screams the rock-n-roll technique every time I use it. For the flower in the center I punched a Night of Navy scallop circle for the base then I stamped the flower two times; first in Night of Navy, then in Ballet Blue. I cut the outer edged Navy one out first, then I cut the center flower out in Ballet Blue and attached them with dimensionals. I added the center flower with another dimensional to really give the flower some pop. I know you can't really see the definition of the flower, but I really liked how it turned out.

I was glad I finally had a card that I could use this different shaped gate card fold on. I love this shape of this card. I have to admit, I redesigned this challenge probably four times before I arrived at my final design, but I am very pleased with it. I hope you like it too. Isn't this week's inspiration picture fabulous?

Thanks for popping in!

Happy Hump Day

2008-08-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? I'm posting other than on Thursday's Utah Diva Challenge. I had to come up with a simple card for a bridal shower. One of my younger cousins is getting married and we wanted to welcome his new wife to be to the family. I didn't think she was a traditional type of bride but a little more modern, so I took this idea right from the pages of the Aug. 2008 Stampin Success. I loved the colors and the simplicity of this card. I didn't have the same stamps that the sample card had so I improvised. I printed the phrase of the computer. I changed the swirl to one of the ones from Stampin Up's Priceless set. I added a little chocolate chip, some so saffron, and a bit of baja breeze and Voila! Simple card.

Check back tomorrow for the next Utah Diva's Inspiration Challenge. I am particularly proud of this design.

UDI Challenge #4

2008-08-14T14:12:00.000-07:00

OMG! I can't believe that I am finally able to post. I have been struggling through connection issues and then logging in issues. It has been enough to make a girl go stark raving mad. So here goes for Utah Divas International Inspiration Challenge #4.

I have to confess where I cased most of this idea from; I was glancing at the newest edition of the Stampin Up Stampin Success and I saw a gorgeous version of this card. I was stuck as to which flower to use for this challenge, because I don't have that many current sets. I was also looking for one that I could watercolor in the shades of red that keep with the inspiration picture. I hope you like what I came up with. I love the simple elegance of this card and how fast it was to put it together. I made several to keep in my card stash box. I know I'm going to want to have more than one on hand. I don't know if you are like I am with your cards, but if you are pleased with an idea you had better make more than one or you will never part with the single card. I guess you could say I have creative anxiety separation disorder. I hate to give the only copy of an idea away. I just created my own disorder.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you will check out the UDI blog for the other challenge artists work this week.

UDI Challenge #3

2008-08-07T09:27:00.001-07:00

I just got home from Stampin' Up! convention and had this great Utah Divas International (UDI) challenge waiting for me. I am a member of the UDI Challenge Team. Our Challenge Coordinator found a great inspiration for this week's challenge. When I saw the inspiration picture I instantly thought of the Andy Warhol look. It just screamed this challenge. The colors in the inspiration also gave me the perfect opportunity to use my new SU In Colors and two of the new stamp sets I received at convention. Don't you just love this new flower? I really love all three of the stamp sets we received this year.

For this card I used flower from the Eastern Blooms set and the words from the Inspired By Nature. For the colors I used the new In Colors Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango, Baja Breeze, and Close to Cocoa. The words are stamped in Tangerine Tango and the flowers are stamped in White Craft ink.

I love the simplicity of this card and how it showes off the new big flower in the Eastern Blooms set. Did I mention I love this set?

More Happy Mail

2008-06-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share some more of my beautiful birthday cards that my friends over at Utah Divas International.

This spectacular Taken With Teal card was created by Sara Chamberlain. She used the Essence of Love stamp set by Stampin Up. I love the way she created a window with the scallop circle. Thanks Sara

This amazing card was created by Janice Rock. I just love the simple layering and embellishments in the perfect places. I must be in a purple mood this month because almost anything in purple catches my eye. The Almost Amethyst goes so nicely with the Elegant Eggplant. The punched flower has a cute rhinestone brad and the vase from the Best Kind of Friend set has been cut out with a bow perfectly placed on it. I appreciate your thoughts and efforts. Thanks

This bright and cheerful card was sent to me from my long time friend Tammy Fite. Tammy and I have been swapping for a few years now and I have been such a fan of her work. I love the combination of Real Red and Tempting Turquoise, a little splash of ribbon and a few deco brads and voila! instant smiles.

Thanks Tammy, I love it!

More Birthday Mail

2008-06-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

Well I'm such a dork. I hit the publish button too soon. Here are some of the other fabulous cards I have received.

Isn't this mouse just too cute. Kathy Blanco created this little cutie. I am jealous she has the larger scallop punches. I need to break down and get those. She stamped a mouse on the envelope too so I couldn't wait to see what was inside. Thanks Kathy!

This purple flower card is the creation of Jill St. Angelo. Jill used the Polka Dots and Paisley by Stampin Up! I just love these colors, but then who doesn't enjoy Perfect and Pale Plumb together. Thank You Jill for thinking of me.

This card was sent to me from Max on behalf of all of my stamping friends at Utah Divas International. This is fabulous group of ladies that share and lend support to each other in both good times and rough. The members are from all over the stamping world, and I am so glad I have the privilege to call each and every one my friend. Thanks Ladies and I look forward to meeting so many of you at convention.

Pat Washburn created this card. You can't tell by the picture, but Pat embossed the flower from Stampin Up's Live Your Dream set and then rubbed (I think) Guava ink over the top to make the petals of the flower pop. She also did shadow stamping to give the flower added dimension. I had forgotten about this technique. I think I feel a revival coming at my next workshop. Thanks Pat and everyone for sharing my day with me.

Birthday Mail

2008-06-25T09:28:00.000-07:00

Wow have I recieved some amazing cards in the mail over the past few weeks. It tickles me so much to recieve hand stamped cards. I know the work and thought that was put into it and I really appreciate the thoughts.

This adoreable hippo card that Bev Williams sent to me has such amazing detail to it. Each layer is hand dotted and the Elegant Eggplant and Cameo Coral layers have been embossed with this great dot pattern. I think I am going to have to add this embosser to my arsenal of embossing folders. The hippo is so adoreable, she layered his head to give him extra dimension. Too Cute!

And The Winner Is......

2008-06-24T22:27:00.000-07:00

Well, Jeanna, and Lisa are my winners this time around. I will get your goodies out in the mail to you in the morning. Jeanna, I will sending out to you a 7 Gypsies Rubber Band Mini Scrapbook and a Travel Pack of stickers, tags, and embellishments for your new book. Lisa I will be sending you a Fiskars Tool Taxi and a spool of pink and brown polka dotted ribbon.

Congrats ladies, and thanks for stopping by.

I have received some great birthday cards in the mail of the past few days and I will post pics of them over the next few days.

Thanks ladies

Birthday Booty Time!

2008-06-21T09:18:00.001-07:00

Hi Bloggers,
As you can tell from my birthday counter it's almost my birthday. I wanted to give you the viewers of my blog a birthday gift from me. I will have two giveaways and I will post the pics after I go torture myself at the gym. All you have to do is post to this thread. I will randomly draw two winners on Tuesday morning. Please make sure you include your email if you don't have a blog so I can contact the winners.

Come back later to see the goodies up for grabs.

Now off to kickboxing aerobics to get my butt kicked, ohhh I mean kick some butt.

Scallop Note Purses

2008-06-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back stamping again. One of my clubs decided that they wanted to make Scallop Note Purses. I found a great tutorial at Jan Tinks's fabulous blog. If you've never been there, you must take a peek; she's a hoot.

This is the one that I made. These were really fun and not as difficult as I thought they would be. Now you may notice that I have a Pretty in Pink scallop as my flap. You may be wondering which package of scallops did I find that one in, well, I didn't. I took one of my scallop notes and made a template. I wanted different colors than the Stampin Up! package offered so I made my own in the colors that fit my design. My club members absolutely loved their projects. They had so much fun and stepped out of their comfort zones and let the creative juices flow and WOW. These ladies all loved the projects that they created. Each one was so uniquely different. I know I had the most fun watching them.

On my purse I used Stampin Up's Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Chocolate Chip, and Close to Cocoa cardstocks, and Rose Red Designer Papers. I added some Hodge Podge hardware and ribbon from the Flirty Originals assortment.

Kristie was so proud of her project. All of the supplies used on her project were Stampin Up's too.

How Does My Garden Grow

2008-06-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

I am pretty excited to see the new things growing in my garden. I have added a blueberry bush to my front porch. It is so fun to be able to walk right out the front door and pick a handful of blueberries and toss them in my yogurt. Sooo fun! I had given my mom one of these bushes for Mother's Day. I wanted to give her something healthy and different, but I enjoyed her bush so much I needed one of my own. It is so cool that the bush was already loaded with green berries. They are ripening at the perfect pace; not at the same time.

My other success right now is my patio tomato plant. It's loaded too! While tomatoes are being pulled off the shelves at the local market, I am pulling them off my plant. I was able to pluck three off today so I can't wait to put them in my salad tonight. This is the best part of gardening; being able to eat the fruits of your labors.

Can you believe all of those cute little tomatoes?

The bottom left corner is my mint plant too. It is doing well. I say this because somehow last year I killed one. I know, I know it's almost impossible to kill mint, but I did. I wasn't discouraged though, I confidently returned to my Lowes garden shop and started over, and VOILA! It is growing nicely. I'll have to keep you posted on the Rosemary plant. He's still little but so far so good.

Thanks for reading my little gardening journal. I'll have stamping stuff to post tomorrow.

Happy Mail!!!

2008-06-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

Look what came in the mail.

I am such a lucky girl to have Jeanna as my stampin sis for this go round. Look at all of the fabulous stuff she sent me. The metallic card stock is textured (WOW), the penguin is a jumbo paperclip, plenty of glitter (I love glitter!). Can you believe how classy the jar filled with kisses is? The photo doesn't do it justice. She expertly colored the flower on the lid and bee on the band, OMG! The three cards she stamped are gorgeous all made with Stampin! Up products.

Am I a lucky lady, or what? Thanks Jeanna

I've Been Inspired

2008-06-05T15:04:00.000-07:00

Well I'm back again. I needed a birthday card for my aunt. I wanted something cool and different but I wasn't sure what the right style would be and then I saw it. I was blurffing (blog surfing) and happened to check my friend Daisy of Eclectic Paperie's blog and there they were....apron cards. Now this may sound strange, but my aunt hand sews aprons. I am fortunate enough to own several of these amazing aprons. My aunt doesn't own a sewing machine, every stitch is done by hand. So I knew this was the perfect card for her birthday. Once the card was done, I was so tickled with my creation, that I will making a few more this evening. One will definitely be going to my stampin sis Jeanna.

For this card I used My Mind's Eye DP was used for the striped front apron, and Stampin Up's Sky Blue was used for the pockets; So Saffron Classic ink was sponged on the inside with a dauber. I added a couple of pale yellow Primas and a touch of bling in the center with tiny light blue jewels.

Thanks Daisy for helping me find my inspiration!

Something's Growing

2008-05-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

Look what's growing in my garden. I have my first strawberry. I'm like a little girl when it comes to the garden. I get so excited at each stage. When the sprouts first come out of the ground, and then when they begin to flower, and then the vegetables start to show; I get so excited. It brings back so many treasured memories of planting little gardens with my grandpa when I was a little girl. I would get so impatient for the plants to produce anything. He always let me plant radish, carrot, and green onion because they grew the fastest and I could pull them out and proudly present them to my mom for the dinner salad.

My trusted Scottie looks on in the background. I know he's wondering what the heck I'm up to. The next big excitements are going to be when the tomatoes and peppers start sprouting. This year I found seeds for red corn. Have you ever seen red sweet corn before? I've heard of blue corn, not red. I have never been very successful with corn, so I hope this new variety brings me better luck. My garden is rather small so I can't have a huge variety.

No doubt I'll post more as Charmaine's garden grows.

Splitcoast So Cal Mania V

2008-04-21T23:29:00.000-07:00

Well we made it back home from this past weekend's Splitcoast SoCal Mania V. It was my first Splitcoast get together and OMG was it fun. One stamper hit it on the head when she said this was all of the best parts of Stampin Up convention. We were able to swap, stamp, do make-n-takes, eat, and visit with friends. Who could ask for more? My cousin Lisa and I went together, actually this was my birthday present to her. We were able to spend the weekend doing something we both enjoy stamp and visit with friends. She did great at her first ever stamping event. The gallery for this event is starting to be uploaded to so check on it to see everyone's pic's of the event (http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=13593)

Some of the fabulous ladies I bumped into were Daisy and Tandra. The three of us are members of the Utah Divas International on-line group. You can check out this group's blog at http://utahdivasinternational.blogspot.com/. Daisy and I have been friends for some years now. Her company, Eclectic Paperie (http://eclecticpaperie.blogspot.com/ ) was one of the major sponsors of this event. If you haven't checked out her web store, you don't know what you are missing (and let her know I sent you over). I was excited to get to see Daisy again.

I was so excited to meet Taylor from Taylored Expressions (http://tayloredexpressions.blogspot.com/) Wow is she tall in person. She provided one of our Make-n-Takes and now I have to have the Sushi stamp set (http://www.eclecticpaperie.com/sushi.html)that is an exclusive set to Eclectic Paperie. Taylor is so adorable, thanks for the great project.

Well as you can see we had an AMAZING time. I had so much fun meeting ladies who's blogs I visit like Rochelle http://impressionsbyrochelle.blogspot.com/ I have been a fan of her's since I discovered the world of blogs. I can't wait for next year's get together.

Thanks for visiting.

Feelin A Bit Froggy

2008-04-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

Well I'm finally getting my mojo back and starting to stamp again. Ok maybe this card doesen't have a single stamp on it but I'm punchin' again. This cute little froggy is my submission for a punch card swap that I had signed up for with the Utah Divas ( http://utahdivasinternational.blogspot.com/). I have been a member of this group for quite some time. It is such a pleasure to be part of such a great group of ladies.

Well I'm getting all packed up today to head down to Southern California for the Splitcoast SoCal Mania V. I am so excited to get to meet up with friends I haven't seen in a while and meet friends I have blogged with. This is my first first Splitcoast Gathering and I know it is going to be FABULOUS! I promise I will post pics when I get home.

Ok now how I made my Froggy. I used the following cardstock colors: Sky Blue, Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke, Basic Black, and White. I used both the large and small oval punches, 1 3/8th circle punch, 3/4" circle, Word Window, 1/4" circle. THe grass and reeds I free-hand cut so that they would have a more natural look (ok they don't make a punch or scissor that would look like that).

Well, I'm off to start packing my bags and finish my name tag so I can hit the road in the morning.

Have Great Weekend!

I Found My Way Out of the Desert

2008-03-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

My goodness, it appears that I have dropped of the planet. Sorry about that. I have done so many things and traveled long distances in the time I have been away. I never stopped stamping though so I will resume posting my work. My life has been up and down and sideways that sometimes I feel like I am in Willey Wonka's Glass Elevator.

I begin sharing some of my travels and experiences in the coming days. My farthest distance was to the land of the Pharaohs; yes I went to Egypt, I cruised the Nile, hung out with Tut himself, even climbed a pyramid.

So stay tuned to hear more about my travels and whereabouts.

and the Winner Is....

2007-08-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

And the winner is Cheryl KVD!!! Congratulations Cheryl!

CAKVD said...
Back to school means shopping!! I love all the sales that the stores have! My daughter is only 2.5, so it will mean much more to me in a few years!!Thanks!Cheryl KVD

Please email me with your address and I will get a box out in the mail to you on Wednesday of this week.

Thanks to everyone for playing.

Next Blog Candy Booty when we hit 2000. I can't wait!

New Favorite Card

2007-08-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

This is my new favorite card. Last Saturday I was getting ready to attend a Stampin Up unit meeting and I needed a swap idea. I new I wanted to use my Priceless set, but was stumped for a spectacular idea. Thank goodness Splitcoast gallery was to the rescue. I spied the perfect card to gather my idea from lesarapp, (http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/605603? cat=10720&perpage=48 ) I made a few modifications to speed up the 20 card making process, and voila! I have my new favorite card. I glad not all 20 demonstrators showed so I had some extras to bring home.

I have fallen in love with whole BoHo collection, and this Outlaw designer paper....uhh, I have to order more. The funny part is that I'm not a western person, AT ALL, but I love SU's new western stuff. On this card I did use only the Priceless stamp set, Chocolate chip, Sahara Sand, and Soft Sky. For ink I used Really Rust and Chocolate Chip, I added a bit of Chocolate Chip grosgrain and I now have a card I can stamp any greeting on and it's perfect for every occasion.

Like I said, this is my new favorite card; I just love it!

Closing Blog Candy Booty Drawing

2007-08-18T10:59:00.000-07:00

Wow! I will accept any last entries into the blog candy booty drawing until 12:00 p.m. (approximately an hour from now). I will draw this evening and post the winner tonight. Good Luck to everyone who entered.

I'm so excited I can't wait to see who wins this time.

Thanks everyone for playing.

Time For Blog Candy Booty

2007-08-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

WOW!!! I am only 21 hits away from 1,500 views. This just boggles my mind. I will post a pic this evening of the booty to be had by a lucky winner. All you have to do is answer one of two questions (or both if you like). What does back to school time mean for you, if it does, and/or do you do anything special for Labor Day weekend to mark the sad end to summer fun?

Back to school doesn't hold much for me anymore now that my son is grown (wow that's a hard pill to swallow). Even though he is still my boy, I am glad to no longer endure the morning struggle of waking him up and the additional challenge of getting him to school on time. For myself, now that I have completed the hundred year plan for college; I am contemplating graduate school. Not sure if I'm read for that commitment completely.

As for Labor Day, this weekend marks the sad end to my favorite weekly farmer's market. It will close until Memorial Day weekend next year. I really enjoy Friday evenings wandering around the different stands tasting all of the fresh fruit. Two weeks after Labor Day I go camping so I don't have to fight for a good site and I there aren't as many others in the campground so it feels like I have more of Mother Nature to myself. I am a total tent camper. No trailers for me. I do have an air mattress, but I just love my tent. I can't wait!

Once my blog hits 1,500 hits, I will close the entries and randomly draw from my official Starbucks cup and announce the winner. I can't wait to see who it is this time!

Thank You sincerely for visiting my little spot on the web.

The Return to Stamping

2007-08-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't put rubber to paper in way too long of a time. Work has just exhausted me. So I joined a swap. I knew that would force me to sit down and start stamping again. I think the real reason I have been in a funk is not attending Stampin Up convention this year. I was not able to get a ticket to the coveted session I. I could not attend session II. Alas, I have been left to only read about the fun and excitement I missed this year. But mark my words, wild dogs will not be able to keep me away next year.

I received my inspiration for this card's design from a http://inkpad.typepad.com/from_my_ink_pad_to_yours/2007/07/not-quite-shady.html This is a blog I pop in on from time to time. She has a wonderful tutorial a technique I had not seen before, Not Quite Shady Layers. I adapted the basic idea for this card from her sample. I really love this Baroque Motifs stamp set there will be more creatons from this one. I am really happy with the way this card came out. For the swap I customized each person in the swap's card with their monogram.

For this card I used Sahara Sand, Always Artichoke, and Elegant Eggplant cardstock, for ink I used Elegant Eggplant, and Purely Pomegranate; stamp sets used were canvas background, Headline Alphabet, and Baroque Motifs. I used my cutter kit to rough up the edges of my layers and for a splash of bling, I added a rhinestone brad from the ice collection. I hope everyone liked their card.

It Should Be A Crime....

2007-07-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

It should be a crime to let work get in the way of social activities. I have been so busy with my "other job" that I have not had the time nor energy to stamp and post to my blog. Please accept my apologies for my absence. I do have fun things to post over the next few days.

Weekend before last I took a one day bus trip with my cousin and our moms to San Francisco. The ladies at Lisa's church do this every year. I personally rarely travel to Northern CA, I usually go south to the Los Angeles area. I had a blast. I can't wait to go back again to see the things we just couldn't fit in.

Look at these yummy colorful peppers. I have never seen purple bell peppers before. The Farmer's Market had some really neat and unusual varieties of vegetables. I wish I could have bought more, but I didn't want to carry them all over town all day and risk mushing them in my bag.

This guy was performing on the street near Farmer's Market. I bet his mom is still wondering where her pots and pans went to. Seeing this guy reminded me of my son when he was little. He loved to serenade me with the pots and pans in the kitchen floor while I was cooking. To think he could turn this into a real performance. Seriously, this guy was pretty good to listen to.

We had so much fun wondering around the wharf area. Our feet barely survived. I have to applaud my mom, I thought she would pop out, but she was a trooper and never gave up. She slowed down a few times, but she kept plugging right on along.

Stay tuned, I will post tomorrow about China Town. I had never been there before. SO Cool!

My Circle Journal

2007-07-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

Well I finally got a moment to upload the pictures of my Circle Journal. I have chosen the theme of my journal to be "Vacation and Travel". I love to go camping and take weekend getaways so i thought this would be a great way to chronicle my adventures. I am especially excited about a trip that is being planned to Egypt in December. Egypt is one of the places I wanted to see before I die. Yes I have one of those lists tucked in a safe place. That also happened to be the theme of one of the other Circle Journals in this swap.

These pages are for the ladies contributing to my Circle Journal. Each one will complete a tag to share a bit about themselves so I know a tid bit about the contributors to my journal.

These are my first two pages. I have recently discovered paper piecing, and really like it for those times when you can't find the right stamp to get the desired look you want. For these pages I sponged Blue Bayou and Wild Wasabi on the pages to give them a background. for my tags I used the new Purely Pomegranate. I love this new color. My bag is made from Creamy Caramel, with Basic Black for the handle and strap. The buckle is from the Hodge Podge hardware, and the metal edges of my bag are the Brushed Copper. So as you can see, my bags are packed, and I am ready for this adventure.

I want to thank Michelle Tweedy for putting this fabulous idea together. I can't wait to see what my journal looks like once everyone has made their individual mark on my journal. I am as excited to see the journals as they make their way across my table.

I've Been Tagged

2007-07-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is my first time being tagged. Michelle Tweedy is one of my new blog friends. She is hostessing this totally cool Circle Journal. It's all Stampin Up and I can't wait. I have to admit I had a bit of creative block getting started, but now I can't wait to see all of the journals. I'll be posting pages from mine in the next couple of days.

Back to the tag. I need to post seven little known facts about me. Hmmm, that's tough, let's see
1. I just turned 41 and am the mother to a 20 year old son. Wow, that sounds so old; definitely not the me I think I am.
2. I am deathly afraid of the water. I do not like it in my face. I can tolerate water situations that do not include splashing or alot of witnesses, I mean people.
3. I'm taking one of my before I die trips this December to Egypt. I am so excited, and learning Arabic so I can haggle in the markets. I really can't wait. The only sad part is I'll be traveling alone. I do know the culture well though.
4. I recently added a wheaten Scottish Terrier to my family. His name is Duncan and he is the funniest thing. It took awhile to make the decision but it was truly a match made in heaven. He fits so well with my son and I.
5. I love Middle Eastern things. I have a Lebanese background and really identify with that part of myself.
6. My cousin calls me a Muslic. Half Catholic, half Muslim. I attend both the mosque and the church when the spirit directs me. Some may think me weird, but I am totally comfortable with it. I love that I understand both ways and receive such a gift from both.
7. And the last tid bit about me but maybe the most revealing... I am a very insecure person. I try to work on this but somehow can't seem to break through this one. I hate it sometimes. I do work hard to not others know how insecure I feel much of the time.

There you have it. More than you probably wanted to know. Ok now it is my turn to tag some others. Let's see who hasn't been tagged:

Mary Arima
Shauna
Brenda Taylor
Tammy

Everyone else has been tagged I think. If I missed someone, post and tell me about yourself. I'd love to read about you.

Have a Great Day!

Happy Sparks Day

2007-07-04T23:22:00.001-07:00

I almost forgot to wish my friend Daisy over at Eclectic Paperie a Happy Sparks day. There is still a couple of hours left to get in on her special sale today. She is offering 15% off of your purchase.

Have a super special day my dear friend.

Happy Fire Cracker Day!

2007-07-04T23:11:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a spectacular 4th of July. Here is a quick picture of some of the magical fireworks I was captivated by this evening.

I am such a big kid when it comes to fireworks. I get excited every time I see them. My favorites are the ones that twinkle in the big ring. It's fun to light the small ones in the street in front of the house, but the big aerial displays just bring out the little girl in me.

I also wanted to remember the service men and women who could not be here safe at home to watch fireworks with their families. My heart goes out to them that they will be home soon, and this mess will be over with. I love my country and being an American.

Happy Fire Cracker Day everyone!

Blog Candy Booty

2007-06-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

As promised I said I would post a pic of the blog candy I was sending out to my winner. Since this package is going across the Atlantic to Finland, I wanted it to be special. I included in the altered paint can some 3-d stickers, a fun package of tissues, some mylar stickers, a set of Stampin Up stamps, and for a little bling bling.... I threw in some of the new rhinestone brads from the new Stampin Up catalog.

This went in the mail this week. A huge congratulations to Kirsi! I hope you enjoy your package.

I can't believe I have already reached 800 hits on my little site. Stay tuned and check back regularly; when I hit 1,000 hits I'll offer up some more blog booty for my visitors.

Thanks for checking in. See you soon.

And The Winner Is....

2007-06-24T13:13:00.001-07:00

I want to say thank you to everyone who posted comments and much appreciated birthday wishes. I appreciate the feedback and comments and I will try to incorporate these suggestions into my posts. I drew a number randomly from a Starbucks cup and drew 12.

And the winner of my birthday blog candy is.... Kirsi!!!
Krisi said...
Happy Birthday! I like to see cards and altered items. And it's always great to see personality on blogs.

Krisi please email me your snail mail address and I will send out your goodies. I will post a picture of the goodies just before I mail them out.

There is significance to the use of a Starbucks cup. I am, like many, a consumer of Starbucks coffee products, and have my own little Starbucks set up in my kitchen complete with the new ceramic cups that look like the paper ones used in the cafes. I don't have a daily Starbucks habit like some that I know, but I do buy their beans (Arabian Mocha Sanani is my favorite) and brew a fresh pot daily. I do love dark roast coffee with a splash of yummy flavored cream.

Well, I have passed gracefully into another year of life. I had the privilege of volunteering my time with some of my family members at a fundraiser for our local zoo. I look forward to this event every year. It always falls around my birthday. I love that I get to help a place I love, and have loved taking my son, and look forward to taking my grandchildren sometime way, way, way, into the future. So I spent my evening at the zoo with my family.

I do have to brag about one gift I received from my mom. She knitted a shawl for me. The yarn she used was spun from alpaca fur. These animals look like small furry llamas. It is the most gorgeous rich purple color and the softest thing you can imagine. I have never felt anything this soft and cuddly. I love this even more because my mom made it for me. She told me when she gave it to me that it is a hug from her whenever I need one, I can wrap myself in it.

I Scream, You Scream,....

2007-06-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

Being that it is officially summer now, I thought I would post one of my favorite birthday cards. I am so bummed that Stampin Up is retiring Simply Circles. I have to admit I wasn't Wowed by this set when we received it at convention a couple of years ago. But slowly it grew on me and since I have used it in workshops quite a bit.

I'm sorry I have no idea who to credit for this idea. I saw this idea on a display board at Stampin Up Regionals a few years back and snapped a picture of it. While looking through some of my old pictures for ideas, I stumbled upon it, and Voila! I had my new favorite summer birthday card. This card is the fastest, simplest card you can imagine. You take some Only Orange cardstock, use the small corner rounder to round all four corners. Then you punch a partial 1 3/8" circle, then add the teeth bite marks by punching partial circles with a single hole punch insde of the bigger partial circle. The craft stick, which I did not "obtain" from the doctor's office (wink, wink, nurses bribe pretty easy), and stamp on it in Only Orange ink the random dots from Simply Circles and then staple it onto the back of the card. This card does require a bigger envelope, but everyone is absolutely delighted to receive this card on their birthday.

Birthday Cards

2007-06-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

Wow, I have recieved some awsome birthday cards. I will take pictures tonight and post the one I have recieved from of my bestest Utah Divas and friends.

I want to thank everyone for thoughts that have come my way through a little paper and ink.

Stay tuned for the pics..........

Blog Candy!!!!

2007-06-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am going to give away my first Blog Candy gift. My birthday is this weekend so I thought I would give away a gift to my visitors. I am not going to post a picture, but I will give you a hint. There may be some rubber, and maybe something sticky, maybe even something that sparkles a bit. Are you intrigued? All you need to do is post a little something telling me what you would like to see me post on my blog.

I am really new at this and want to know what others are looking for when they are blog surfing. That's it, pretty easy. I will draw randomly for the posts on Sunday morning and mail a pretty gift wrapped box out to the winner. I look forward to your feedback.

Aren't Sisters Great?

2007-06-13T09:15:00.000-07:00

Aren't sisters great? Stampin sisters are equally as special. this adorable hat box was sent to me as a gift from my Stampin Sister Shelly R. Let me brag a bit about Shelly. She has made me some of the cutest projects. I have shown them at workshops and received oooo's and ahhhh's over them. When I received my box this month from her my jaw fell open, I love this hat box.

For those who don't know what a Stampin Sister is let me explain. I am a member of an on-line group called Utah Diva's International. One of the activities in this group is the Stampin Sister program. It is sort of like secret pals, but you know who the other person is. The main requirement is you send your sister some Stampin Up items from her wish list and a few hand made projects. We also email one another to get to know each other better. I have had the opportunity to get to know some fabulous ladies. It has also been a great support having that one on one as I have gone through a difficult time earlier this year. Shelly has been a jem to get to know this last couple of months.

On this project Shelly used all SU products. She decoupaged designer paper from the Slumber party collection onto the hat box. She stamped and cut out two of the Big Blossom flowers and layered them on top of each other and then curled some of the petals. She added her favorite stamp set, that is unfortunately retiring, Bold Butterfly. She also stamped and cut out small flowers from the Bold Butterfly set to sprinkle them all over the top of the box. This box is so absolutely adorable!

Thank you Shelly for such a fabulous gift!

My First Lunch Tin

2007-06-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it took me so long to make one of these cute boxes? I bought a few of them last year and then "put them away" in the garage and forgot about them. I have admired them ever since they splashed across the boards. This was a relatively easy project. I think the most challenging part was cutting the right spots for the lid. I need to make a couple more to send to a couple of fellow Stampin Up Demos. Although I really wanted to use some other cool papers but I wanted them to be able to use them in their demonstrations so I chose all Stampin Up supplies for this project. I designer paper from the Spring Flowers collection and the ribbon is Apple Green Grosgrain. I think I need to add some tied ribbon accents to the handle and this one is ready to send out.

I can't wait to get home from work to make a couple more!

I'm A Winner!!!

2007-06-09T17:12:00.000-07:00

I won Blog Candy from Wanda's site. Sorry it took me a little while to post about it. This is the first time I have won. I have entered for many blogger giveaways, and never won. Imagine my surprise when I was making my daily rounds and saw my name right there on Wanda's page. I had to do a double take to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. For those of you who have never visited her site you are missing out. She posts some of the cutest ideas. I really liked one of her recent posts for candy bar holders. Too cute!

Thank you Wanda for making my day, and giving me some wonderful ideas to play with.

I'm Back and Punchin'

2007-06-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

Well, work has gotten in the way once again. The last week and a half has been so hectic. One of my main admin assistants resigned just before the end of month billing. So needless to say, we have been up to our eyebrows in invoicing and field forms from my technicians. For those who don't know, I am the vice president of an engineering firm. We work closely with the construction industry. What that means is when someone doesn't get their job done, I'm the back up, I am also the wearer of many other hats in our office.

Well on to today's post, I belong to this wonderful on-line group of Stampin Up demos called Utah Divas International. One of the best swaps in the world is the Stamp Camp in a Box Swaps. These swaps are designed around a theme and the results are fabulous. There are usually three levels of cards, two to three 3-D projects, and then a variety of other projects ranging from trading cards, to 6x6 pages for a total of around 8 projects. The idea is that you could take the ideas you received from the swap and build a complete stamp camp. I love these swaps!

My very good friend Lisa is the hostess with the mostess for these swaps. I chose these little notebooks as a 3-D project for the swap. I took my inspiration for the little clipboard on the cover from a card saw on Beate's blog. I used all Stampin' Up products for this project. I chose my paper from the new Pallet of Prints package. I just love my punches, I used the Rounded Tab punch, the Spiral Punch, and the Corner Rounder punches. For the clipboards I used Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery and topped them with Close to Cocoa. for my ribbon, I used the Moss and Light Pink Gingham, and the Light Pink and Olive Narrow Organdy. These were simple but I liked them.

I can't wait to see what everyone else has done for this swap. It's like Christmas waiting for my box to come back in the mail.

I'm Buggin'

2007-05-27T17:36:00.000-07:00

This is my first Cuddle Bug card, and my first SCS challenge card. I really liked this layout and really wanted to try it. I entered a swap that uses both Stampin Up products and Cuddle Bug images and this is what I came up with. I really like how clean and simple this card looks. I used Stampin Up's Cool Caribbean and Basic Black cardstock and Classic inks to create this design. I used my Aqua Painter to paint my Doodle This flower in with Cool Caribbean Classic ink. I used my Cuddle Bug D'Vine Swirl for my background.

I'm trying different things with the photography side. I think I am too close to my image and that is what is causing the blurring. Thanks for being patient with me while I learn through this. I am getting better with my staging of my photo, I think.

Can You Believe....

2007-05-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

Can you believe how adorable this frame is? My cousin Lisa made this one. She had stopped by my office to show me before she gave it away, I had to snap a quick pic of it. I am so proud of her work. She is really a talented crafter all the way around. I have no idea which products she used on this project, I just know I fell in love with it.
Stay tuned for another absolutely fabulous project Lisa made for me. You are going to be blown away; I just know it, I was.

Relay For Life Weekend

2007-05-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo to everyone. This weekend in Fresno, CA it's Relay For Life. For those who don't know what Relay is, it's a 24-hour walk/run continuous relay to raise money for cancer research. My mom's best friend is one of the chairpersons this year and a cancer survivor herself. We also lost my dad to cancer a few years ago so this event is personal for our family too. So, since my mom is participating in this event, so are her children whether they wanted to or not. One of the things my mom was responsible for was collecting donations for the survivor's tent. Naturally as a Stampin Up demo I was one of the first ones on her list. This is my donation to the event. I realized I still had one of the cancer fund raiser stamp sets SU sold about two years ago, so what could be more appropriate as the set. I added a pink and lavender stampin spot as these are the cancer colors, some pink, white, and lavender cardstock, and a Stampin Techniques booklet. I hope the recipient likes this gift.

This event is fun to see. there are many teams not only completing laps, but they have other competitions too. There will be a parade later this afternoon as one of the laps, complete with competition for the best floats and costumes. The local high school teams really get into the spirit competition. Tonight is the really moving part of the event, the lighting of the luminaries that individuals have purchased in memory of a lost loved one. I hope to have a good picture to post from tonight's event.

Well, I'm off to run errands for my mom and pick up the forgotten supplies she just remembered this morning. So with shopping list in hand, off I go.

My First Trifold Card

2007-05-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

Oh My Goodness! You have no idea how excited I am that I have finally taken a clear picture of my project. I have been struggling like you can't believe with fuzzy pictures. I think the trick for my camera is it has to be in a good mood; not too early in the day, and not to late into the evening. I have to talk nice to it, and then it will produce something I can be happy with. Now if I can figure out the paint part of adding the SU and my name part, I am half way to rocket scientist. So far I have been able to add it to the photo but you have to be a knat to be able to read it. I haven't figured out how to change the font size without messing up the picture. So I'll take this one step at a time. I'm tellin you, I can't believe how amazed at myself I am right now.

Alright, this card is my first try at the tri-fold cards I have admired in blogland. I did have one boo boo on my first try with the angles of the folds. Guess who ended up with a V-fold pocket card because she scored one side of the card the wrong angle. Oh well I had been wanting to make one of those cards too. I am now hooked on these cute and oh so simple cards. This card was made for a swap I signed up for in my on-line group Utah Divas International (Email me if you are a SU Demo and are interested) that is for Mother's Day cards. I can't wait to see what comes back. I used all Stampin Up! products for this card. Here's my recipe: C/S - Tempting Turquoise, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Petals & Paisleys DP; Ink - Pretty in Pink; Stamps - Alphadots; Accessories: Daisy Punch, Spring Bouquet Flower punch, 1/2" circle punch, white grosgrain ribbon, and soft subtles deco brads.

I can't wait to get out and take some more pictures to post. Look out!

Polished Rolling Stone

2007-04-24T16:25:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry I can't seem to get a clear picture. I have been trying to shoot in different environments, and with different cameras and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. when I shoot pictures of the kids or the dog they turn out clear. I will keep trying to get you better pictures. I am still posting, because I haven't posted in such a long time.

I wasn't thrilled with this card when it was a thought in my head, but I did like the way it turned out once it was done. I had signed up for a swap that used the Polished Rolling Stone technique. I also wanted to use a microscope slide since I hadn't used them in quite some time. So for the polished stone I used More Mustard, Summer Sun, and Gold on glossy cardstock. I rolled marbles in Basic Black and then rolled them over the polished stone. I used the Wrought Iron punch for the corners and the Flower is for Stampin Up's Heartfelt Thanks set. You can't see it very well but the microscope slide cracked, giving a great authentic cracked glass look.

I will try to Post a better picture of this one, because I am proud of this one. I didn't even case on this card. Which is huge for me, because a large amount of my stamping is cased with a twist.

I Hate Windows Vista

2007-04-21T19:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a bit. I have Windows Vista on my new computer and nothing seems to work with it. I can't get it to recognize my camera. I am struggling with this. So, I apologize for not having posted in a bit. I promise I will have some new posts before the end of the weekend. I have some fun things I want to share.

Please stay tuned...

Paint Can Challenge

2007-04-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

I have fallen in love with these paint cans. I was given a batch of clean gallon size paint cans a few months ago. I work in the construction industry and was able to coax some out of a local paint supplier. Score for me! I am thinking to do this as a stamp camp project. This little one is a quart size can that I thought was too cute. I was thinking that this would be the perfect size to fill with a cello bag of cookies.

To make this simple design I used all Stampin Up products. I really like the versatility of the Spring Flowers patterned paper and the coordinating Spring Bouquet Flower punch. I finished it off with a piece from the Hodge Podge hardware kit and some Apple Green gros grain ribbon. Let me know what you think.

I Got Mail!!!

2007-04-04T23:40:00.000-07:00

I received my first order from Eclectic Paperie . I received the most adorable Primas, and Prima purses. I also received the coolest papers from Basic Grey's Pheobe collection. I can't wait to place another order. I am very impressed with how fast I received my order. I have the privilege of knowing the owners personally and let me tell you, these ladies Rock! I will play with my new treasures this weekend and post some of what I come up with.

My First Punch Card

2007-04-03T23:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I have labored over this punch card. I have taken elements from so many things I have seen I don't even know where to give credits to. I entered a swap that grew to 21 samples. Can you believe I am almost done with 21 of these? I think I am on the verge of insane. Thank goodness for the tweezers in my SU tool kit. Let me know what you think.

I am working on better photos and learning how to work with the programs. this whole things is a learning experience for me.

I'm Finally Cuttlebugging

2007-03-31T21:35:00.000-07:00

I finally did it! I broke down and used my Michael's coupon and bought a Cuttlebug. I am now going to have to figure out how to use it, but I am so excited to finally have one. Now I can't wait for tomorrow's coupons to purchase some plates for my machine. I'm a goof, I know it.

My First Post

2007-03-31T10:53:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my first post. I am struggling through setting up my first blog. Please bear with me as I figure out this process. I hope to have regular updates and exciting things posted so you will want to visit here often. I really appreciate any feedback you have to offer.