Random thoughts of a Confessed Stamp-A-Holic

I'm a slacker

sorry, went back to neglecting the blog again :/  I had full intentions of posting some cute cards last week but well life got in the way.....hate when that happens *wink*  But I'm back and ready to go so that should be the last break for a while.  I decided to get back into some fun challenges with the sketch challenge 170 over at Stamping 411 today.  It seemed like a great challenge to get back into the stamping groove.  I also found a new color challenge (and you know how much I love them!!!) so I decided to go for a twofer and do that too!  It's on the Utah Divas International blog and it's a brand new color challenge for them....this is only week 3!  These are so not colors that I would have put together but somehow it worked (secretly I think it's because I only used an itty bit of chocolate chip).  Nothing really "earth-shattering" about the card so I won't blab about it too much.  I did color the small pearl next to the sentiment with my copic so that it matched the concord paper.  Have I mentioned before how much I LOVE that I can color my pearls (and brads) to match my paper??  Oh I have, silly me then for mentioning it *again* :) 

Materials used (all SU unless noted otherwise): pocket silhouettes; very vanilla, chocolate chip cs; concord crush dp; chocolate chip, concord crush classic ink; scallop edge, modern label, itty bitty flower punches; pearls; copics (non SU); chocolate chip ribbon

I have to admit it felt SO good to finally get some stamping time in yesterday afternoon.  It feels like it's been so long since I've just sat down to stamp.  I was in such a nice groove before we went to CA and haven't quite managed to find that groove again.  I think it will take a little bit to get settled in our new school schedule (plus Elizabeth hasn't had a full week of school yet due to the Jewish holidays so that throws things off a bit).  But it was nice to just sit down and create!  Looking forward to getting to do that again this afternoon :)  Hope you have a wonderful day!  Thanks so much for stopping by today :)

I'm alive

 Phew, settling back into "life" after vacation proved to be a little crazier than I expected.  That 3 hour time difference between CA and NJ was a killer!!!  But LOTS of naps and a week later and I think we are all finally back on east coast time :)  Elizabeth's first week of school went nice and smoothly and she loves her new teachers.  We also celebrated Alex's birthday with our families over the weekend which was a blast!  Sadly in between all the getting back into the new fall schedule and getting readjusted to east coast time there just wasn't any stamping time last week.  But settling in has happily brought some stamping time back :)  I am ready to get back into stamping and playing along with all the fun blog challenges out there!

I started off today with this week's Curtain Call Act 48.  I have to tell you of all the challenges to start off with this one really tested me.  What a color combo-wild wasabi, rich razzleberry, peach parfait, poppy parade and very vanillla.  This combo is such a reach for me but I have to admit once I finished the card I do really like it.  I never would have put these together on my own though.... I wanted Fergus to be a cute little polka dot dragon so I stamped him on some rich razzleberry paper and then colored his belly and foot pads peach parfait.  I also colored the pearls to match the peach parfait paper-love that I can color my pearls with my copics :)  

Materials used: fergus with poppy (wild rose studio); poppy parade, peach parfait, wild wasabi, very vanilla cs (SU); rich razzleberry dp (SU); tuxedo black (memento); copics; stickles; pearls (SU); dots embossing folder (sizzix); poppy parade ribbon (SU); nestabilities

Our trip to California was absolutely wonderful and exhausting at the same time.  My husband did awesome in the half marathon and Alex's first birthday was fun!  He even surprised us and took his first steps while we were out there :)  He's still not really *walking* but he's taking more and more independent steps each day.   But boy is he CLIMBING....up and over everything!!!!!  Yikes!  Elizabeth wasn't a climber but what she didn't climb he is making up for :)  He really is a little monkey!  

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!!  Hope you have a wonderful day :)

An apple for you

 Nothing like the beginning of a new school year, the (hopefully) cooler temps and the promise of a fresh crop of delicious apples :)  We are fortunate enough to have a wonderful farm right up the road from us that grows the most delicious apples.  We usually go there at least once a fall to pick a TON of apples and pumpkins and what not.  Then you get home and look at all the apples and think "what am I going to *do* with all of these!?!??!!" This little image reminds me of my little lady with a bushel of apples that she just picked fresh from the tree.  I gave the apples a nice layer of crystal effects to give them that healthy ripe apple shine :)  I thought the baja section looked a little blah so I stamped a tone on tone apple underneath the sentiment.  Just enough to add a little something but not too much to distract from the saying.  Love the subtlety :)

Materials used: apple girl (cc designs); so saffron, cajun craze, baja breeze, soft suede cs (SU); stamper's select white (PTI); tuxedo black (memento); copics; nestabilities; soft suede ribbon (SU); polka dot embossing folder (SU); rhinestones (SU); crystal effects (SU)

Today is Elizabeth's first day of school.  While I am going to miss her and our mornings together (she attends 3 mornings per week) I am looking forward to getting back into the school schedule.....remind me of that in a few months when all that running around makes me tired :)  Dance class starts up next week so at least we have a week to get back into the groove before we add that *wink*

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you have a wonderful day :)

First Day of School

 Today is the first day of school at Elizabeth's school.  Sadly she is going to miss her first day since we are traveling home from CA today but I want to wish all of her friends a happy first day!!! She'll be there for the second day of school and well that will just have to be good enough *wink*  This card uses the adorable Greeting Card kids as they are headed off to school.  I just love them!!!  I picked this color combo using my color coach and I have to say I would have NEVER put these colors together but I do like the way they look .  I think it helps (for me) that the colors aren't used in big pieces but more as accents, ya know?  And can I just point out that cute tiny little satin bow?!?!  You have NO idea how long it took me to get that bow to look *just right* :)

Materials used (all SU unless noted otherwise): greeting card kids, first day of school; pumpkin pie, real red, crumb cake cs; stamper's select white (PTI); tuxedo black (memento); copics; nestabilities (spellbinders); oval punch; basic grey satin ribbon; dots embossing folder (sizzix)

This will be Elizabeth's last year in preschool.  Sigh......I remember how excited she was to go her first year and thankfully she is still just as excited this year :)  She LOVES her school, teachers and friends!  And I love that she has a wonderful place to begin her school years on such a happy note!  Looking forward to another great year!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!!!  Hope you have a great Monday :)

Simple Sunday School Days

 Ahhh it's the time of year again....back to school :)  I always loved going back to school after a fun summer.  You got new clothes, new pens/pencils, new notebooks (my favorite part) and you got to see all your friends again.  And then when I began teaching it was still just as fun just from a different side of it.  I got to meet a new crowd of 5 year olds with their bright shining faces...cause you know all kids *love* Kindergarten!!!  These days back to school takes yet a different side as I begin to get the little lady ready for school.  This is her last year of preschool....come next September we'll be getting ready for the Big K-yikes!  

Materials used: learning year by year (unity); real red, crumb cake cs (SU); pear pizzaz dp (SU); tuxedo black (memento); notebook, eyelet ribbon dies (PTI); numbers embossing folder (provocraft); twine

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!  Hope you have a great one :)

For the Newlyweds

 When I saw the Elizabeth stamp in the new catalog I knew I had to have it simply because of the name :)  But the more I looked at this stamp the more I fell in love with it!  It has SO much potential and for a simple single stamp, it can be used in SO many ways.  For this card, I stamped the image and colored it in using my copics.  Then after the image was colored I spritzed the image with my silver smooch spritz. I opted for a sleek, elegant bow with the flat satin bow along the scalloped edge.  I added a few tiny pearls to the scalloped edge as well. LOVE the end result of this card!!!  So not my "typical" style but I am very pleased with this one :)

Materials used (all SU unless noted otherwise): elizabeth; tempting turquoise, basic black cs; metallic silver (curious metallic); stamper's select white (PTI); tuxedo black (memento); copics; silver smooch spritz; basic grey satin ribbon; scallop edge punch; pearls; nestabilities (spellbinders)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!!  We are headed back to Disneyland for a few days before we head back home to NJ :)

Hula Anyone?

 Schools may be back in session and it might seem like summer is a thing of the past but technically it ain't over until the.....wait....what...... oh nevermind *wink*  Anyway.....this is my farewell to summer card.  I used last week's Mojo Monday sketch for this summery treat.  Sprinkle is in her luau best and doesn't she just look thrilled....trust me she's a cat...she's thrilled :)  Her grass skirt was coated in crystal effects to make the leaves nice and shiny-cause they're fresh of course.....no cat would be caught in old leaves *wink*

materials used: hula cat (TCP); crumb cake, tempting turquiose, so saffron, rose red, pumpkin pie cs (SU); stamper's select white (PTI); tuxedo black (memento); nestabilities; copics; crystal effects (SU); rhinestones (SU); photo corner punch (SU)

I'm hoping a trip to the beach is in the cards for us in the next day or so.  Elizabeth LOVES the beach so I'm hoping that we can introduce the kids to the Pacific Ocean while we are in San Diego for a few days. Besides, Chris and I have only "met" the Pacific while in Hawaii so we wouldn't mind checking out the CA coast either! 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!!!  Have a great one :)

Wow!!! A Year Already?!?!?

 This time last year I was in the hospital snuggling with my brand new baby boy......today I celebrate his first birthday with a fun breakfast in Disneyland.  Where did the year go?  It's been a busy year full of lots of sleepless nights (Alex doesn't sleep anywhere near as well at night as the little lady did), lots of baby puke, lots of dirty diapers......and LOTS of hugs, LOTS of smiles and an overwhelming amount of love!  

We are celebrating Alex's birthday with our families when we return from CA.  I wanted his birthday invite to be just like him......fun, adorable and FULL of boy!  I just love this little whale from TCP and he seems to have taken over the party :)  He's swimming his little way into all of the party decorations.  

Materials used: a whale of a time (TCP); not quite navy, wild wasabi, marina mist, cherry cobblercs (SU); marina mist, wild wasabi dp (SU); night of navy ink (SU); twill ribbon (SU); wave punch (fiskars); polka dot embossing folder (sizzix); hot fix studs; small corner rounder (SU)

Happy 1st Birthday my little man!!!!!  You are such a blessing to our family :)    

 

Simple Sunday Cupcake

 A super simple birthday card for you today.  I saw this sketch on a blog one day and immediately added it to my sketch book for future use.  It just makes for such a fun, cute and simple card!  Seriously, this puppy went together so quickly I *should* be embarrassed :)  The large cupcake image is from the set Crazy for Cupcakes and man does it look yummy!  I little *too* much icing for my taste (I know I'm odd) but I'm all about the sprinkles!  I added a line of paper piercing along the edge near the ribbon to jazz it up just a touch and then a rhinestone in each corner of the main image and ta-da...simple but adorable!

Materials used (all SU unless noted otherwise): crazy for cupcakes; cameo coral, tempting turquoise, so saffron cs; stamper's select white (PTI); tuxedo black (memento); copics; scallop edge punch; chocolate chip ribbon; rhinestones

Today my DH is running the Disneyland Half Marathon :)  Luckily for him it looks as if the weather is going to be *so* much nicer than the last time he ran this race two years ago-we missed last year since it was so close to Alex's due date.  I know that he'll do awesome!  Since he ran the Disney World marathons in January he will get an extra Coast to Coast medal upon finishing this race...pretty sweet huh?  Me?  I'll be getting the kids up and finding a great place on the course to cheer him on :)  No running (ok walking) in this one for me since we don't have a babysitter in CA.....but come January I'll be right there with him for the half marathon....ok well not *with* him with him.....but on the course at the same time *wink*

Thanks so much for stopping by today!!!  Hope you are having a wonderful weekend :)

Go for the icing

 Personally I'm not a fan of icing (shocking I know).....love the cake but I usually scrape off all of my icing and give it to my DH.  But this little bunny looks just about ready to dive into the icing on this cake don't you think? I used the oh so fun sketch from this week's SFYTT challenge for this birthday card.  I opted to go super subtle on this one, well except for that BRIGHT pink icing :)  And who can resist a pink polka dot bunny????  No one that's who!!  I used my little coloring of the pearls with copics trick again on this card to get the marina mist pearls in the corner.  I thought the white pearls would get lost on the very pale pink pirouette paper.

Materials used: forget about the cake (TCP); pink pirouette, marina mist, so saffron, crumb cake (SU); stamper's select white (PTI); so saffron, wild wasabi, pink pirouette dp (SU); tuxedo black (memento); copics; crystal effects (SU); nestabilities; marina mist taffeta ribbon (SU); scallop edge punch (SU); pearls

Hope you have a happy Friday.....go forth and find some cake :)  Thanks so much for stopping by today....enjoy the long holiday weekend!!!!