Checking In

WOW!!! What a busy summer so far!!!! I have updated my catalog links on the right sidebar to the current 2010/2011 catalog PDF's. Hoping to be back to my blog soon. I miss blogging and I miss my paper and ink :( ! One of my daughter's came home for a week (which went by too fast) and my youngest daughter's summer skate training schedule has been intensive to say the least. We spend loooooong hours at the rink 5-6 days a week, mostly 6 days a week. We had a car wash a couple of weeks ago to raise money for their team jackets and for Nationals. That was a lot of fun, but I got clobbered in the forehead by one of the dad's with a metal pole and it split my forehead open. Didn't get stitches, but it would have probably taken at least four if I had gone :). Thankful that it was my forehead and not my eye!!! Fourth of July we had a great barbecue with family and friends. It was so much fun! There was a mega water war in the afternoon, then at night we had fireworks in the driveway, the annual chicken/tank war (not real chickens :) ) and ended the evening with S'mores. It was after midnight before everyone left, but everyone had a great time. My daughter is also involved with a great youth group at a church that we found that we like a lot. She has jumped right in and is helping with several youth group and church projects. Thankfully, youth group is after skate practice so she has time to eat before she goes! We've had several other things going on this summer, so busy, busy, busy! Hoping summer activities will slow down enough soon to get back to my paper and ink!!!

Blessings!

Barb

Update

My daughter is home visiting from out of state- whoo hoo! We are so happy she is home for a week with us! We haven't seen her for six months :-(. My skater girl is celebrating her 16th birthday this week too, so I will be gone for the whole week. Hoping to be back after that :-). I hope everyone is enjoying the summer so far. Mine is busy so far!!!

11 more days until the new catalog goes live! There are some great stamps and other surprises in the new catalog that I am sure you will love! I can hardly wait for July 1st to get here so I can order new catalog stuff! Have a great week!!!!!!!!!!

Blessings!

Barb

New Schedule

I haven't posted much this week because we are adjusting to a new schedule. My daughter's skating schedule (which we were notified about the night before it changed) and the summer schedule. Beginning this week, skate classes have changed to two 6 1/2 hour days, two 3 hour classes, and one four hour class. Mix that with a 'no more school for the summer' schedule and it takes some adjusting :-) ! I had full plans of updating my blog each day this week- but, that didn't quite work out! Anyway, I hope you'll bear with me as I work on adjusting and prioritizing :-). Wishing everyone a great weekend!!!

Blessings!
Barb

I know this is Early but.....

This is the time of the year when I start working on the design for my husband's business Christmas cards :-). I thought I would share it since I used the Sunday Sketch posted below. I like the way this one came out so it has a really good chance of being the one I use this year. I finally got to use 'Dasher'! I ordered this stamp last year and never got around to using it because all of my Christmas cards were finished by that time. I will be using him this year though! I LOVE this stamp!

I stamped my Old Olive card stock for the background with the Bella Toile background stamp in Old Olive ink. I trimmed my stamped card stock and cut off the bottom piece first. Then I cut the two top pieces in half. I chose to use the same colors that I used in my sketch in the post below- Old Olive and Elegant Eggplant, but I used Very Vanilla instead of Whisper White.

For the inside of my card, I punched the corners with the 'Scallop Trim' corner punch and added a 'Jumbo Snowflake' accent in Elegant Eggplant. I stamped the smallest circle stamp in 'Circle Circus' on Very Vanilla in Old Olive ink and punched it out with the new circle punch from the 'Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack'. The circle punch is a perfect fit for the stamp :-). I added the little stamped image to the center of my snowflake and stamped my sentiment in Elegant Eggplant.

I tried several times yesterday morning to get this posted, but Blogger was down for a good part of the day :-(. Glad things are back up and running now! Wishing you all a wonderful day today! Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate your visits!

Blessings!
Barb

Supplies:
Stamps: Dasher-116816, Teeny Tiny Wishes- 115370, Many Merry Messages- 116586,
Circle Circus- 115778, Bella Toile- 111598
Paper: Old Olive- 100702, Very Vanilla- 101650, Elegant Eggplant- 105126
Classic Stampin' Ink: Old Olive- 102277, Elegant Eggplant- 105210
Punches: Modern Label- 116630, Jumbo Snowflake- 116628, Scallop Trim Corner- 118870, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack- 118309
Dies: Curly Label Movers & Shapers- 114506, Punch Windows- 115953
Other: Gold brads- 104337

Sunday Sketch 3

Time for the Sunday Sketch :-). My daughter really likes this one, so I hope you do too! The colors I used are Old Olive, Elegant Eggplant, and Whisper White, but you can use any colors that you like :-). Please link to Mr. Linky below if you do the sketch. I'd love to see your card!!

I hope you've had an enjoyable and relaxing weekend so far. Wishing you all a great day and a wonderful week!!



Blessings!
Barb

Supplies:
My Digital Studio

Thinking of You in Blue :-D

I made this card in My Digital Studio first :-). I love MDS for designing cards before I even touch my paper. I know ahead of time exactly how it will look. It also gives me the measurements I need as I design. Cool, huh? Designing in MDS also cuts down on paper mistakes so less waste :-). In MDS, what you see is what you get. The punches and the stamps are all sized in real life size so you know if your stamp or punch will fit your design area. You can also re-size them though, if you'd like an element bigger or smaller. In my MDS sketch, I used So Saffron textured card stock, but when I made my actual card, I chose to use the Square Lattice embossing folder instead.

I chose a Bashful Blue mat for the inside of my card so it would match the colors of my card front. I also inked the edges of my Whisper White card stock with So Saffron to bring the yellow into the inside as well. The cute little butterfly body stamp is from the Level Two hostess set in the Summer Mini- Punched Posies. I'm looking forward to playing with this set more- it's awesome! The butterfly wings are punched out with the Butterfly punch and then I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig (love that tool!!!!) to stamp the little body on top. Easy Peasy!

That's my card for today :-). I hope you have a wonderful day today! Check back on Sunday for the Sunday Sketch :-).

Blessings!
Barb

Supplies:
Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes- 115370
Paper: Bashful Blue- 105120, Whisper White- 100730, So Saffron- 105118, Old Olive- 100702, Bashful Blue Patterns Designer Series Paper- 112151
Classic Stampin' Ink: Bashful Blue- 105209, So Saffron- 105213, Pacific Point- returning on July 1, 2010
Punches: Butterfly- , 5 Petal Flower- , Extra Large Two Step Bird- ,Trio Flower-
Other: Square Lattice Textured Impressions embossing folder- 119976, blue rhinestone

Card for Sunday Sketch 2

I got around to making a card for the Sunday Sketch 2 :-). The buttons are made with a 3/4" Circle punch and So Saffron card stock. Punch out three circles for each button and glue them together. I mark the center holes and punch out the holes on the smallest hole setting with my Crop-a-dile. Depending on the look I want for my buttons, sometimes I ink the sides and the edges and sometimes I don't. Either way, I always have buttons to match ;-). You can use any size circle punch that you have on hand to make buttons from tiny to big. You can also use Designer Paper for making buttons and finish them off with some Crystal Effects so they'll be shiny like real buttons.

The leaves behind my flower are actually wings punched from the Two Step Bird punch. The wings can be used for flower petals as well. They could be easily transformed into rain drops on a scrapbook page :-).

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far. I can't believe the week is almost over already! Monday holidays always make a week seem so much shorter even though it isn't, lol! Wishing you all a GREAT day today! Stay cool!

Blessings!
Barb

Supplies:
Stamps: Very Versatile- retired
Paper: Regal Rose- 105130, Whisper White- 100730, So Saffron-105118, Old Olive- 100702, Bashful Blue- 105120
Classic Stampin' Ink: Old Olive- 102277, Bashful Blue- 105209
Punches: Extra Large Fancy Flower- 118073, 3/4" Circle- 107217, Scallop Trim border- 118402, Extra Large Two Step Bird- 117191
Other: Old Olive 1/4" grosgrain ribbon- 111368, Square Lattice Textured Impressions embossing folder- 119976, Petals-a-Plenty Textured Impressions embossing folder- 116824, DMC embroidery floss